Excerpt from the NEASC Tahanto Report, 1995

Tahanto Regional Middle-High School does not provide a physical environment conducive to the enhancement of students’ learning experience. Despite dedicated efforts to maintain the structure, old age and use have contributed to its current state of deterioration. The demands of a technologically advancing educational world are not well met in the structure itself. The educational community has outgrown the building, specifically with regard to the gymnasium, cafeteria, music room, auditorium, special needs, health services, and the library. There is not sufficient space to allow for conferences in the health services department or the guidance department. Classrooms are cramped, and especially in relation to fire safety, pose a potential safety risk. The science labs are antiquated to the point of being safety hazards. Proper ventilation and safe storage facilities for chemicals in these classrooms is not available.

What's Wrong with Tahanto?

Some Excerpts from our Submitted MSBA Statement of Interest.
To view the full Statement of Interest, click here.

Roof

The school has a 27 year-old deteriorating flat roof with a history of significant leaks. The roof is at the end of its useful life and needs to be urgently replaced to prevent further damage to the sub-structure and head-off the potential for mold problems in the classroom environment.

HVAC

The school has the original hot water heating system with asbestos pipes and floor mounted unit ventilators. The system is inefficient and the control system is outdated. The ventilation and air-circulation is generally inadequate and contributes to uneven temperatures throughout the school. There is no central air conditioning and school is uncomfortably hot during the summer months. Cooling in a few critically hot areas is provided by inefficient window units.

Exterior Windows

The school has the original window system. The windows are thermally inefficient (singly glazed) and drafty (no-longer airtight to the building). The window system is a major cause of heat loss in the winter and their poor reflectivity contributes to the uncomfortably hot conditions during the summer months.

General Space Issues

The school has inadequate space for its school population, including cramped classrooms, blocked fire exits, inadequate conference space, inadequate textbook and supply storage, and inadequate health facilities.

Safety and ADA Issues

There is the absence of floor lighting in the auditorium, the isolated presence of asbestos, non-compliant electrical systems, door hardware, and stairways, non-compliant sinks and showers, excessive oil burner emissions and the absence of a full sprinkler system.

Science and Technology

There are antiquated science labs without proper ventilation and safe storage of chemicals. There is a need to provide safe and adequate storage for the hazardous supplies and chemicals in the science and custodial areas. Electrical outlets, sinks, hoods, laboratory stations and surface areas of the Science department need replacement. There is no advanced computer lab due to the damp conditions of the area in a basement industrial arts workshop where the lab was previously housed. The library which seats fifty-one students at tables and sixteen at computers is too small to adequately serve the student population. The size and arrangement of the facility allows access to only one class per period, limiting the use of the library for other purposes.

Inadequacies for Educational Programs

There are numerous issues regarding the ability to adequately deliver educational programs, including some state mandated programs. These include special education programs, science programs (chemistry, physics, biology, general science lectures), mechanical drawing, computer instruction, physical education and health, and arts programs (music, art, band and chorus).