WINDHAM — Citizens will represent the largest portion of a joint committee to study sending Pelham students to neighboring Windham High.
Windham School Board members said last week that they wanted at least three citizens from each town to be on the 12-person committee, Superintendent of Schools Frank Bass said.
"To get a real flavor for the towns' feelings," Bass said.
The committee will focus on the educational and financial pros and cons of having Pelham students attend Windham High School.
The panel also will look at space needs at Windham High School, which opened last year with freshmen and sophomore classes, and added a junior class this year. Next year, it will have a full complement of classes.
The joint committee likely will meet for the first time by the end of the month, said Bruce Anderson, chairman of the Windham School Board.
Anderson said he expects he or School Board vice chairman Ed Gallagher will represent the Windham board.
Bass said he has heard from some Windham people interested in being on the board.
Bass will gather names of people interested in joining the board and present them to the respective school boards for approval.
Windham board member John Hollinger said last week he would favor having no elected officials on the panel, putting the committee entirely in the hands of citizens.
But board members decided to include all stakeholders on the panel including citizens, Anderson said.
"You get a cross section of the town (represented) that way," he said.
This composition is consistent with the committee make-up originally suggested by Rob Hardy, chairman of the Pelham School Board.
The committee will include one representative from each town's School Board, each town's Board of Selectmen, an educator from each high school and three citizens from each town.
Donna Clairmont, the Windham School District business administrator, said the committee will seek information from teachers at the two high schools, as well as talk with guidance counselors and principals from the schools.
The committee's cochairmen will be citizens, one from each town.
Bass said the strong citizen component on the committee makes sense. Voters ultimately will be asked to approve any proposed agreement that would send Pelham High School students to Windham High School.
Pelham High School is on warning status for college accreditation, due to overcrowding and insufficient facilities. Pelham residents have defeated proposals for a new high school, most recently in March.
A majority of voters approved the plan, but the percentage fell narrowly short of the 60 percent needed for approval. The state has since placed a moratorium on school building aid.
The proposed Pelham/Windham study committee would eye ventures that might include a tuition, area school or a cooperative arrangement.
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