Starting Full Day Kindergarten for 2026-27 School Year. Good for children AND good for tax payers.

This Full Day K project uses existing space in each of the neighborhood elementary schools to house Kindergarten.

Why is Full Day K a pressing need?

We have fallen behind the rest of New Hampshire and the Country in terms of providing Full Day Kindergarten as an option to families. 

There has been a lot of misinformation about short and long term costs on this proposal on social media in Town. We know we will be lowering the tax rate for the 2026-27 school year if it gains a simple majority approval. We also know we will have savings for each year moving forward - especially since we are projecting continued declining enrollment as a school system. Please read the information below for an accurate view of short and long term cost savings. 

Frequently Asked Questions on the 2026 Full Day Kindergarten Plan

1) How will Kindergarten students ride the school bus in this plan?

Kindergarten students will be on the same bus as other Kindergarten through 5th grade students at South School, Matthew Thornton, and North School. Kindergarten students will have assigned seats at the front of the school bus. From talking to other K to 5 schools, they have not had issues with Kindergarten students with older elementary school students on the same bus. Older elementary students tend to look after the younger students on the bus. 

2) How will bus routes change if this plan is approved?

Bus routes will no longer exist for Moose Hill. All elementary routes will only go to South School, Matthew Thornton, and North School. Overall Kindergarten routes will get much shorter especially for North and South School. Our school buses choose stops based on the younger students on the routes. Kindergarten students and their placement around town will determine the bus routes and bus stops moving forward. 

3) Are the playgrounds at North School, South School, and Matthew Thornton safe for Kindergarten students?

The North School PTA and Community just undertook a multi-year effort to update their playground equipment and it is rated for Kindergarten students. The Matthew Thornton PTA and Community just did the same for a few pieces of equipment. The School District's Buildings & Grounds Department can manage the ground cover at all three schools to shrink the gap between the ground and equipment for younger students for the 2026-27 school year and moving forward. All our recess periods are well supervised and staff will ensure that younger students do not play on equipment that is not safe for them. 

In the past, PTAs have made the investments in our playground equipment. The School District can monitor the needs moving forward to ensure all three schools have a similar experience if needed. 

4) Can Kindergarten students attend the before and after-school programs within our schools?

Yes. The YMCA is aware of this plan for the 2026-27 school year and can accommodate Kindergarten students. Please reach out to them for more information: https://www.graniteymca.org/programs/child-care/school-age-child-care/. 

5) Will a full day Kindergarten curriculum be ready for the 2026-27 school year?

Yes. All of our curriculum programs are actually Full Day materials that we adapt for a 1/2 day program now. The Assistant Superintendent and the Moose Hill Principal have been working with a committee of staff over the last few years to be ready for this move if the plan is approved. Please reach out to jparent@londonderry.org with further questions. 

6) Will the School District be able to move all the classrooms over the summer of 2026 to be ready to open Full Day Kindergarten on time?

Yes. The Buildings & Grounds Department has created a moving plan for this summer that will start on June 17th 2026 with all elementary classrooms affected by this plan moved by July 15th 2026. Moving the Portables from Moose Hill to Matthew Thornton, and creating three new classroom spaces within Matthew Thornton will be completed by August 10th 2026. 

7) Will there be enough storage space for Kindergarten supplies for a play based learning approach at South School, North School, and Matthew Thornton?

Yes. Each classroom at Matthew Thornton, South School, and North School that will be turned into a Kindergarten classroom will be fitted up with additional resources and approaches for storage as well as utilizing storage already in all three buildings. We do plan on using at least one classroom at Moose Hill for elementary school storage to target seasonal items that can move to and from the three schools throughout the year by our Buildings & Grounds staff. 

History of the the Full Day Kindergarten Projects: Over the Summer and Fall of 2022, after the School District received their extensive report on the building needs within the system, the School Board mapped out a tentative timeline for addressing those needs over many decades. Housing K in each of the elementary schools is an update to that process to show the voters we have listened to the feedback around cost - designing a plan that allows us to give K students what they need and allows for more State revenue  and capitalizes on space and staff we have. 

History on the Building Project and Other Documents