On September 3, 2026, the School Board of the Kearsarge Regional School District voted to “adopt a two-school elementary configuration as the district’s long-term operating goal” and “begin preparation for the closure” of the Sutton Central and Simonds Elementary Schools.

The seven towns of the Kearsarge Regional School District have tight community ties: people from one town work, shop, and socialize all across the district. Not having local elementary schools means fewer young families moving to the area as the Kearsarge region continues to age, affecting long-term economic growth, infrastructure, and community across all seven towns. 

In short: what happens to one town’s elementary school affects the other towns around it.

How Much Would Closing Two Schools Actually Save Taxpayers?

• The School Board hasn’t yet determined the tax numbers for how much money consolidating schools would actually save taxpayers from all seven towns.

• Because the consolidation plan requires an $22.7M addition on Bradford Elementary and updates to New London Elementary, taxpayers in ANY town in the District wouldn’t see tax savings for 6-7 years.

• A Tax Savings Calculator prepared by the District is misleading—without estimated savings, it gives the false impression that consolidation will save money when the actual numbers have not yet been determined.

Where Would Students Go if Their Schools Closed?

• If Sutton Central were to close, students would be sent to New London Elementary, placing the school at 92% capacity and “leaving little room for expansion if needed” according to a document shared with the Board. Combining classes would increase class sizes up to a max of 24 students.

• The District’s original plans to close Simonds involved sending Warner kids to Bradford, though this would require adding a $22.7 million addition on Bradford Elementary to accommodate all of the students.

• The District has also discussed plans to send 5th Graders from all 7 towns to Kearsarge Regional Middle School.

• School enrollments vary over time, and an analysis shared with the School Board specifically stated that total K-5 enrollment estimates could vary by up to 150 students by 2034-35.

• An increased student population in future decades could require expanding the Bradford and New London schools yet again, or even building a brand-new school to accommodate more students.

How Would Busing Work if Schools Closed?

• A transportation study showing how busing would work for a combined elementary school system—especially with fewer students walking to school—is slated to take place in October.

• Some students across the district currently spend up to 2 hours on the bus each day, and the district is already operating with a bare minimum of bus drivers on consolidated bus routes.

• Fuel costs are increasing, with an increase of $100,000 for diesel fuel budgeted for next year.

What Would Happen to My Child’s Teachers if Schools Closed?

• A consolidation document shared with the Board calls for a net reduction of 3 teachers at Bradford Elementary (if Simonds were to close) and 4 teachers at New London Elementary (if Sutton Central were to close).

• The same document also suggests that “staff morale will likely be impacted by reduced or re-assigned positions” by consolidating schools.

What Are Communities and Families Saying in the 7 Towns?

• The School Board hired Hanover Research to conduct a community engagement survey on school consolidation across all seven towns. The survey was only open for two weeks and the School Board voted to move toward the two-school plan before survey results were in on September 11.

• According to the Kearsarge School District’s Community Engagement Survey:

  • Only 36% of respondents believe that the District could effectively manage a school consolidation process.

  • 91% of respondents agreed that schools are an important part of communities.

  • 88% believe that community feedback should play an important role in school consolidation decisions.

  • 79% believe that it’s important for students to attend school close to home.

• Hanover Research (the company that administered the survey) recommends that the district “consider creating additional opportunities for two-way communication” regarding consolidation, and “clearly sharing how stakeholder feedback is being used to inform decisionmaking.”

• Families are already choosing alternative education pathways - potential or real school closures will accelerate this trend and lower enrollment in all of the District schools.

What Would Happen to the Empty Elementary School Buildings?

• If closed, Simonds Elementary would be inherited by descendants of the Dow family who gifted the land for a school in 1871, requiring a costly and complicated legal process by the district to find the new legal owners.

• If closed, Sutton Elementary could go back to the town, causing taxpayer money and administrative trouble, or be sold by the District.

• If closed, the District would still need to pay for repairs to Sutton Central School before the property could be leased or sold.

• Per RSA 194-61, charter schools would have the right of first refusal to purchase the Sutton Central School property if it were to be sold, preventing it from being purchased by the town as former schools were in Bradford, Newbury, Wilmot, and Springfield. 

• Without a definite plan in place, it’s possible that both buildings could end up vacant, which would still cost taxpayer money for required maintenance, heat, and security.

What About Economic and Other Impacts on the 7 Towns?

The District’s Own Research Shows What Happens When Schools in Small Towns Close:

• Property Values Go Down: When elementary schools closed, home prices fell 6.8%, 9.9%, and even as high as 25% in one study conducted by researchers at Michigan State.

• Actual Cost Savings are Less Than Expected: “Evidence consistently shows net savings are smaller than expected,” after a school closes, as staff are reassigned and school districts underestimate transportation and costs for the receiving school. 

• Jobs Are Lost: Jobs are eliminated from both school staff reductions and in surrounding businesses through a decline in local economic activity.

• Worse Outcomes for Affected Students: One Texas study cited in the report found that students whose schools closed scored lower on standardized tests and had lower high school graduation rates, lower college attendance, and lower earnings as adults.

• Longer Bus Rides: “Longer rides reduce homework, extracurricular, and part-time work time for rural students,” according to the report, which cites increased transportation costs per student in rural school mergers in Vermont. (As of this writing, Kearsarge has not yet determined the increased transportation costs for its school consolidation plan.)

• Loss of Community and Social Culture: Multiple studies have cited decreased community involvement due to the loss of “social infrastructure where neighbors could meet and build community” after a school closes. In short, not having a local school means fewer people participating in community activities.  In nearby Danbury NH, many families moved away after their elementary school closed this past summer 2026.