Superintendent Suzanne Schrader said an estimated 2,800 students are enrolled in Portsmouth schools, including the three elementary schools, the Portsmouth Middle School and high school, compared to 4,000 when the Pease Air Force base was open. The public hearing was the first time architects received input on the Lafayette, Locker said after the meeting. Given the central location and age of the school, he wasn't surprised by the comments, he said. The architects will consider enrollment projections, cost and a variety of other factors in their report, Locker said. Small buildings are costly to renovate while large buildings are not always the best spaces, he said.
Older buildings are generally more expensive to bring up to code.