Education/ Nashua NH

Local Control

New Hampshire prides itself on consistently producing some of the best students in the country. This success can be attributed to many things: a willingness to support the schools with the necessary resources, excellent teachers, engaged parents and a unique way of organizing and administrating our schools. in New Hampshire, state government plays a very minor role in education. The funding, administration and curriculum are all managed at the local level.

This dedication to local control of schools results in a system where the decisions surrounding education, what to teach, how to teach it and how to pay for it, are all made by local school boards elected by local voters. Local voters elect these volunteer boards of education to varying terms, giving them the responsibility and authority for meeting the needs of the students in their town. This tradition of local control results in a system of education that is widely supported by its community.

In all but the most rural towns, each town has its own system of education with its students attending classes in local elementary and junior high schools and then either attending the town's local high school or in a few cases a cooperative high school where several towns have combined efforts to share the burden of the more expensive and specialized years of education. In the Greater Nashua region several communities have chosen to build cooperative high schools while maintaining the more intimate and personal local elementary and junior high schools. These include the Hollis/ Brookline High School and the Souhegan High School, which serves the towns of Amherst and Mont Vernon.

Nashua, with twelve elementary schools and 3 junior high schools, has recently made a substantial commitment to public education. In 1999 the city's voters approved a five-year, $140 million new construction and renovation project for the city's high school. A new high school, Nashua High School North, is being built just across the Nashua River and northwest of the existing high school. Classes there begin in the fall of 2002. Upon its completion, the existing Nashua High School will be completely remodeled. It's the largest public high school building project in New England and it will result in two completely new high school facilities for the region's largest city.

In addition to a fine public school system the Nashua region offers parents preferring a private or parochial education many options. The city of Nashua alone has two parochial elementary schools, a junior high school and Bishop Guertin High School, which has over 800 high school age students in attendance. Parents will find a wide variety of private pre-school and elementary education options, as well.

Nashua Colleges

New England is known as home to some of the finest higher education in the world and Nashua plays an important role in that reputation.

Daniel Webster College, which offers bachelor and associate degree programs, is best-known and nationally respected for its aviation program. (For information, call 577-6000)

Nashua's oldest college, Rivier College, a Catholic liberal arts institution, offers both two- and four-year programs in 20 disciplines, including a strong nursing program. (For information, call 888-1311)

Hesser College, a small, private college, offers 25 associate programs as well as bachelors programs in criminal justice and business administration. (For information, call 883-0404)

Southern New Hampshire University (formerly New Hampshire College) recently gained university accreditation and has greatly increased its program offerings, including hospitality; tourism and culinary management. (881-8393)

The Nashua division of Franklin Pierce College offers traditional liberal arts courses, as well as teacher prep and pre-professional courses. (889-4145)

New Hampshire Community Technical College, a branch of a statewide distribution of publicly owned technical schools, puts strong emphasis on technology programs, especially for the computer field. It also has an associate of arts degree that transfers to a four-year program. Great improvements to the campus, including a new library have made NHCTC a gem in Nashua's higher education system.

The University System of New Hampshire, now allows credits and status to transfer between the institutions. (882-6923)

Finally, for those who want a school with only seven faculty members and 70 students, Thomas More College, just north of Nashua in Merrimack, may be the answer. Although the ambiance is more that of an extended family school than a structured college, the Roman Catholic institution is ranked in The National Review College Guide: America's 50 Top Liberal Arts Schools in America. (880-8308)

A publication of the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce and New Hampshire Magazine.

To order a printed copy of "Gateways To Greater Nashua", please contact:
Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce
151 Main Street
Nashua NH 03060
(603) 881-8333



	Education is what focuses a community on the future and produces the leaders who will make the vision come to pass. Local Control New Hampshire prides itself on consistently producing some of the best students in the country. This success can be attributed to many things: a willingness to support the schools with the necessary resources, excellent teachers, engaged parents and a unique way of organizing and administrating our schools. in New Hampshire, state government plays a very minor role in education. The funding, administration and curriculum are all managed at the local level. This dedication to local control of schools results in a system where the decisions surrounding education, what to teach, how to teach it and how to pay for it, are all made by local school boards elected by local voters. Local voters elect these volunteer boards of education to varying terms, giving them the responsibility and authority for meeting the needs of the students in their town. This tradition of local control results in a system of education that is widely supported by its community. In all but the most rural towns, each town has its own system of education with its students attending classes in local elementary and junior high schools and then either attending the town's local high school or in a few cases a cooperative high school where several towns have combined efforts to share the burden of the more expensive and specialized years of education. In the Greater Nashua region several communities have chosen to build cooperative high schools while maintaining the more intimate and personal local elementary and junior high schools. These include the Hollis/ Brookline High School and the Souhegan High School, which serves the towns of Amherst and Mont Vernon. Nashua, with twelve elementary schools and 3 junior high schools, has recently made a substantial commitment to public education. In 1999 the city's voters approved a five-year, $140 million new construction and renovation project for the city's high school. A new high school, Nashua High School North, is being built just across the Nashua River and northwest of the existing high school. Classes there begin in the fall of 2002. Upon its completion, the existing Nashua High School will be completely remodeled. It's the largest public high school building project in New England and it will result in two completely new high school facilities for the region's largest city. In addition to a fine public school system the Nashua region offers parents preferring a private or parochial education many options. The city of Nashua alone has two parochial elementary schools, a junior high school and Bishop Guertin High School, which has over 800 high school age students in attendance. Parents will find a wide variety of private pre-school and elementary education options, as well. Nashua Colleges New England is known as home to some of the finest higher education in the world and Nashua plays an important role in that reputation. *Daniel Webster College, which offers bachelor and associate degree programs, is best-known and nationally respected for its aviation program. (For information, call 577-6000) Nashua's oldest college, Rivier College, a Catholic liberal arts institution, offers both two- and four-year programs in 20 disciplines, including a strong nursing program. (For information, call 888-1311) Hesser College, a small, private college, offers 25 associate programs as well as bachelors programs in criminal justice and business administration. (For information, call 883-0404) Southern New Hampshire University* (formerly New Hampshire College) recently gained university accreditation and has greatly increased its program offerings, including hospitality; tourism and culinary management. (881-8393) The Nashua division of *Franklin Pierce College* offers traditional liberal arts courses, as well as teacher prep and pre-professional courses. (889-4145) *New Hampshire Community Technical College, a branch of a statewide distribution of publicly owned technical schools, puts strong emphasis on technology programs, especially for the computer field. It also has an associate of arts degree that transfers to a four-year program. Great improvements to the campus, including a new library have made NHCTC a gem in Nashua's higher education system. The University System of New Hampshire, now allows credits and status to transfer between the institutions. (882-6923) Finally, for those who want a school with only seven faculty members and 70 students, Thomas More College, just north of Nashua in Merrimack, may be the answer. Although the ambiance is more that of an extended family school than a structured college, the Roman Catholic institution is ranked in The National Review College Guide: America's 50 Top Liberal Arts Schools in America. (880-8308) A publication of the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce and New Hampshire Magazine.* To order a printed copy of "Gateways To Greater Nashua", please contact: Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce 151 Main Street Nashua NH 03060 (603) 881-8333