The Town of Raymond is looking for four community members to serve on a new committee that will determine how best to repurpose Jordan-Small Middle School (JSMS) once it closes following the completion of the new Windham Raymond Middle School.
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| The Jordan-Small Middle School Building Implementation Committee will make recommendations to the Raymond Select Board as to repurposing Jordan-Small Middle School for municipal uses once it closes following the opening of the new Windham Raymond Middle School in the fall of 2027. FILE PHOTO |
Raymond Town Clerk Melanie Fernald is accepting applications. More information and the application form are available at tinyurl.com/bdz6fvd4.
In addition to the four community members, the committee will include representatives from the Planning Board, School Department, Public Works/Facilities, Parks & Recreation, Budget-Finance Committee, the Select Board, and the town manager. The town manager, Select Board, and Budget-Finance Committee representatives will serve as ex‑officio, non‑voting members. Meetings for the committee will be held monthly.
The Raymond Select Board unanimously approved the committee guidelines last fall, though the number of community members was a point of debate. The initial plan called for only two or three community members, but some residents and board members pushed for more.
Resident David Brown, a mechanical engineer, expressed interest in serving and argued that the committee should include additional community voices with expertise in design, finance, and other relevant fields.
Some Select Board members countered that public participation during meetings would provide sufficient community input.
“There should be plenty of public meetings so people that do have suggestions and people that do want to provide some assistance could voice their opinions at these meetings and offer their services,” Select Board member Chris Hanson said. “So I don’t think we need to make this committee any bigger, I think we just allow them to participate.”
Others disagreed.
Select Board member Derek Ray supported having four community members, noting that the project is intended to benefit the entire community.
“To have two would be slighting the community a little bit because this is going to be geared toward a community center. I think that more community input would be great,” he said, adding that residents might not attend meetings if they were not formally part of the committee.
The Raymond Visioning Committee, which met from April through June of last year, produced a report recommending that the building be used to house several town departments before disbanding. Chair Peter Lockwood said the committee envisioned a community center supporting residents of all ages. Their recommendations included relocating Parks & Recreation, the library, Town Hall offices, and Community Services to the JSMS building.
As part of their work, committee members toured JSMS and other municipal facilities – including the town office, library, Public Safety building, and leased program spaces – to assess current needs. They also visited nearby towns that converted former schools for municipal use. Lockwood said that the Visioning Committee was encouraged to “dream” without considering cost; financial analysis will be the responsibility of the new committee.
The new Windham Raymond Middle School is expected to open in fall 2027, serving roughly 1,000 students in grades five through eight. Windham is also evaluating future uses for repurposing Windham Middle School, which will close once the new building opens.
Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond was built in 1960 and currently has an enrollment of 174 students. <
In addition to the four community members, the committee will include representatives from the Planning Board, School Department, Public Works/Facilities, Parks & Recreation, Budget-Finance Committee, the Select Board, and the town manager. The town manager, Select Board, and Budget-Finance Committee representatives will serve as ex‑officio, non‑voting members. Meetings for the committee will be held monthly.
The Raymond Select Board unanimously approved the committee guidelines last fall, though the number of community members was a point of debate. The initial plan called for only two or three community members, but some residents and board members pushed for more.
Resident David Brown, a mechanical engineer, expressed interest in serving and argued that the committee should include additional community voices with expertise in design, finance, and other relevant fields.
Some Select Board members countered that public participation during meetings would provide sufficient community input.
“There should be plenty of public meetings so people that do have suggestions and people that do want to provide some assistance could voice their opinions at these meetings and offer their services,” Select Board member Chris Hanson said. “So I don’t think we need to make this committee any bigger, I think we just allow them to participate.”
Others disagreed.
Select Board member Derek Ray supported having four community members, noting that the project is intended to benefit the entire community.
“To have two would be slighting the community a little bit because this is going to be geared toward a community center. I think that more community input would be great,” he said, adding that residents might not attend meetings if they were not formally part of the committee.
The Raymond Visioning Committee, which met from April through June of last year, produced a report recommending that the building be used to house several town departments before disbanding. Chair Peter Lockwood said the committee envisioned a community center supporting residents of all ages. Their recommendations included relocating Parks & Recreation, the library, Town Hall offices, and Community Services to the JSMS building.
As part of their work, committee members toured JSMS and other municipal facilities – including the town office, library, Public Safety building, and leased program spaces – to assess current needs. They also visited nearby towns that converted former schools for municipal use. Lockwood said that the Visioning Committee was encouraged to “dream” without considering cost; financial analysis will be the responsibility of the new committee.
The new Windham Raymond Middle School is expected to open in fall 2027, serving roughly 1,000 students in grades five through eight. Windham is also evaluating future uses for repurposing Windham Middle School, which will close once the new building opens.
Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond was built in 1960 and currently has an enrollment of 174 students. <
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