Board of Aldermen — 2/21/16 Page 4
We cannot talk about the state of our city without recognizing the central importance of our schools.
Families must have confidence that their kids will get the education they need to succeed in life. Good
schools are also a key part of our economic development strategy because businesses need to know
that we are graduating students who have the skills to perform in the workplace.
Our high school students are making us proud. In Nashua we have more students excelling in Advanced
Placement courses that any in other community in New Hampshire. In 2016, 13 Nashua students were
recognized as National AP Scholars, out of a total of only 42 in all of New Hampshire. Thirty percent of
the statewide total come from Nashua. Last year 3 students from Nashua were admitted to MIT, while
three students Mary Zhu, Aashish Welling and Harshal Sheth won top awards at the New Hampshire
Science and Engineering Fair.
Now we have the opportunity to take a dramatic step forward in ensuring quality of education for all of
our kids. Superintendent Brown has proposed a creative budget which while making some cuts also
includes full-day kindergarten for all of our 5-year-olds. | support full-day kindergarten, and | am
announcing tonight that | will include full-day kindergarten in the budget | present to the Board of
Aldermen later this spring. Research shows that kids from all backgrounds benefit from all-day
kindergarten — fewer drop outs, higher GPA’s, more success.
In 1988, when | was Mayor before, we started half-day public kindergarten in Nashua for the first time,
when kindergarten was not state-mandated. We have waited a long time for the completion of what we
started back in 1988. In order to bring on full-day kindergarten, and to achieve a budget with a 1.3%
increase, Dr. Brown’s proposed budget eliminates some things which | believe we should retain.
Ensuring that all of our children reach their full potential, as well as seeing to it that the quality of our
teaching remains high require that Clearway High School and two teaching coaches be retained in the
budget as key elements of our educational program. In addition, | believe that cutting ten custodians is
too much.
Clearway, an alternative high school run by the Adult Learning Center, has been effective in educating
kids who thrive in a smaller high school environment. The two teaching coaches enable our junior
teachers to fully blossom into the classroom leaders we need. | want to make sure that all our teachers
have the skills and experience they need to enable Nashua’s school children to reach their full potential.
When | submit my budget to the Board of Aldermen, | will add funds for Clearway High School, for the
two teaching coaches, and for some more custodians.
Let’s thank our teachers. In thinking about Nashua’s schools, we must understand the critically important
role that our teachers play in the lives of our students. Some don't fully understand the challenges our
teachers face today. Many kids come to school unprepared to learn, some because they are hungry or
cold. Two hundred and sixty-seven students are classified as homeless. Certainly too many kids have
parents or family members who are in the grip of addiction. Yet, Nashua teachers are meeting these
classroom challenges every day.
In addition, dedicated teachers, principals, and other staff are also working hard for Nashua’s needy kids
by collecting and distributing food, clothing, and other necessities. Other members of our community are
also making a difference. The Chamber, Alderwoman Melizzi-Golja, and George Katis of Nashua
Wallpaper organize the Back to School event at the library every fall. And the volunteer organization End
68 Hours of Hunger distributes food to 50 needy families at four of our elementary schools every Friday.
But | believe we can do more to combat childhood hunger.
Therefore, tonight | am announcing that along with the Nashua Soup Kitchen, End 68 Hours of Hunger,
United Way, the Salvation Army, the Corpus Christie Food Pantry and others, we will launch a new
initiative, End Childhood Hunger in Nashua, before this year is out. We will start in Crown Hill, the home
to the Dr. Crisp Elementary School, where over 80% of the kids qualify for free or reduced lunch.
