Fall Mountain Regional High School
Formation and opening
The Fall Mountain Regional School Board was created in 1964 with the goal of opening a cooperative high school from the local towns. In September 1964, the Board engaged the architectural firm of Haines, Leineck & Smith from Lowell, Massachusetts to design preliminary plans for the new high school. An award to R.E. Bean Company of Keene, New Hampshire to build the new school for $1,075,887 was announced in August 1965.
The school opened in September 1966. The student body was created by combining the students of Walpole High School, North Walpole, Charlestown, and Alstead (the former Vilas High School). This creation of a consolidated high school was part of the nationwide trend of school consolidation in the United States at this time. For example, the last graduating class of Vilas High School in 1966, one of the schools which merged into Fall Mountain Regional, was only 20 students.
JROTC
The JROTC at the school which was founded in 1996 has competed at a national level, participating in the national championship competition in 2021. Dutch photographer Ellen Kok spent two years documenting the school's group activities after seeing them at a parade in 2010. She published a book called "Cadets" from her work.
2020 Referendum
In 2020, Charlestown, which makes up 41 percent of the high school student body, considered withdrawing from the school. The fact that Charlestown pays a higher school tax rate fueled the issue. While a study committee had recommended withdrawal, the proposal would have increased costs in Charleston and the other towns. A voter referendum on the proposal was strongly rejected, including in Charlestown itself.
References
- ^ "Search for Public Schools - School Detail for Fall Mountain Regional High School". nces.ed.gov. US Department of Education. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
- ^ "Fall Mountain Regional High School". New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
- ^ Benoit, Tom (23 July 2022). Fall Mountain searching for interim high school principal, The Keene Sentinel
- ^ "School Plans To Be Drawn". The Brattleboro Reformer. 1964-09-19. p. 8. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
- ^ "The Brattleboro Reformer 18 Aug 1965, page 10". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
- ^ "Fall Mountain Regional Graduates First Class". The Brattleboro Reformer. 1967-06-19. p. 12. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
- ^ Milliken, Joe (20 April 2022). Fall Mountain Regional High School launches official Alumni Association, Vermont Journal
- ^ "Walpole Reaches New Hampshire Class S Final". The Brattleboro Reformer. 1966-03-10. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
- ^ McGauley, John (26 June 2016). Stepping back in time: 'For one weekend we're all 17 again', The Keene Sentinel
- ^ Teicher, Jordan G. (9 October 2015). Everyday life as a JROTC cadet, The Washington Post
- ^ Rooney, Jack. (8 June 2021). Fall Mountain JROTC team to compete in national championship, The Keene Sentinel
- ^ Mosley, John. JROTC in the North Country, Upstate NH, Retrieved 28 September 2022
- ^ Olson, Nancy A. (9 October 2015). Brattleboro's Lilac Ridge Farm featured in new book, Brattleboro Reformer
- ^ Smithson, Aline (17 March 2014). Ellen Kok: Cadets, lens Scratch
- ^ (2 May 2013). Soldaatje spelen op school, Trouw (in Dutch)
- ^ Hubbard, Sierra (6 February 2020). Charlestown's possible withdrawal colors Fall Mountain session, The Keene Sentinel
- ^ (11 March 2020). Fall Mountain soundly rejects Charlestown withdrawal, The Keene Sentinel
- ^ Lahut, Jake (8 February 2019). Chewing on a 'Chexit': Fall Mountain voters debate Charlestown's potential exit, The Keene Sentinel