In 2012, U.S. Army Master Sergeant Cedric King woke up from a coma in Afghanistan to discover that his legs had been amputated. Today, 8 years later, Cedric says if given the chance, he’d do it all over again. You’ll hear his story of finding tremendous growth in tragedy by relinquishing control and expectations.
In his December 2019 podcast, Could tragedy be your greatest classroom? Discovering the gift of growth, Tony Robbins shares stories about people who have not only overcome devastating situations, but have more satisfying lives as a result. It made people think about what was important. It made them focus on the things that really make a difference.
You hear stories about this type of thing all the time. Something devastating happens, and it actually opens doors.
This is what’s going on in Claremont. They’ve been hit with a whammy — the district has a $5 million deficit. They need to lower their spending, raise the money, or do something completely different.
Croydon was in a similar situation a few years ago. In this case, the district budget was changed from $1.7 million to $800 thousand on the floor at our town’s annual district meeting. The town had to figure out how to deal with such a drastic change. While the school board struggled to come up with a plan, there was a huge effort by some townspeople to get the original amount back. Those townspeople won in the end, so nothing in the school district had to change.
If this situation happened to a business or family or anything other than a school district, they would say, okay, we’re short some money. Let’s stop doing some of what we’re doing (sell the second car, set up a responsible budget), and rethink what’s important.
The point of the change proposed in Croydon was to create a situation where everything had to be rethought. Why are our students performing so badly on reading in a small village school or any of the other schools they’re attending?
The idea of making a significant change to how schooling works seemed like the end of the world to those Croydon townspeople who fought the original vote. Going back to the status quo seemed safe. But it didn’t improve anything. Sadly, the parents didn’t seem to care about academics. Claremont has an opportunity here.
What no one is telling you is that Claremont can have the same “redo” as Croydon did. They don’t have to go through a judge, as Claremont’s lawyer is saying. That’s what officials told Croydon back then, too. But RSA 197:3 stipulates that you can have a second meeting under certain circumstances. So this is one avenue Claremont has — to create a fully funded budget with no deficit and get the town to vote for it.
It seems unlikely that Claremont residents will vote for a tax hike to cover the $5 million deficit. So, there is likely going to be some kind of major change.
Claremont’s Bluff Elementary School is one of the lowest performing schools in New Hampshire, as the chart below shows. Only 1/3 of their students are reading at a proficient level, and only 1/5 are proficient in math.
And Stevens high school is one of the worst in math achievement, while fewer than half are reading proficiently. None of Claremont’s schools perform well academically.
The Claremont school board will have to make some tough decisions. The Valley News says the district already made a list of all the things that are not mandated. They could cut things, but it would take a lot of cuts to reduce the budget by $5 million.
Taking the Tony Robbins approach, given this setback, why not step back and ask what can be changed to improve the school learning environments?
Claremont has an opportunity to focus only on reading and math, and get rid of everything else. They could make an arrangement with the Claremont community center for a full-time drop-off program. If they do these things, they can keep all their students and improve everyone’s reading and math skills. And parents can stop worrying about their children’s schooling.
That said, parents would be smart to have a Plan B.
The EdOpt Provider Map shows that the region surrounding Claremont (approximately a 45-minute drive) has several chartered public schools (tuition-free) that cover all K-12 grade levels.
We identified six such schools that are currently operating: five brick-and-mortar charter schools and one virtual charter school. There’s also an alternative high school in Claremont itself. But who knows what will happen to them.
These charter schools include a high school in Lebanon, three in the Keene area (one K–8, one 9-12, and one K–12), and a statewide online charter school (K-12). The table below summarizes each charter school’s name, grade levels, type (brick-and-mortar vs. virtual), location, and website. See if their approaches would work for your children.
| School Name | Grades Served | Type | Location (Address or City) | Website |
| River View Chartered Public School | 9–12 | Brick-and-mortar | Claremont, NH (169 Main St.) | riverviewcps.org |
| Ledyard Charter School | 9–12 | Brick-and-mortar | Lebanon, NH (39 Hanover St.) | ledyardcharterschool.com |
| Making Community Connections Charter School – Monadnock (MC2) | 9–12 | Brick-and-mortar | Keene, NH (310 Marlboro St.) | mc2school.org |
| Surry Village Charter School | K–8 | Brick-and-mortar | Surry & Keene, NH (campuses in both towns) | surryvillagecharterschool.org |
| Gathering Waters Chartered Public School | K–12 | Brick-and-mortar | Keene, NH (98 S. Lincoln St.) | gatheringwaterscharter.org |
| Virtual Learning Academy Charter School (VLACS) | K–12 | Virtual/Online | Exeter, NH (statewide online charter) | vlacs.org |
You’re on your own for transportation to charter schools unless you live in that school’s district.
The situation in Claremont is serious, but there is hope. This is a moment for parents to band together, share information, and take active steps to ensure that their kids keep learning. Here are some actions parents can take right now:
- Stay Informed: Continue following updates from the Claremont school board and district. Decisions about school openings, program cuts, or any stop-gap measures will be made in the coming weeks. Knowing what’s happening will help you adjust your plans. We will try to keep an updated summary on EdOpt.org‘s home page.
- Connect with Other Parents: You are likely not alone in your concerns. Consider forming a parent group (even a Facebook or WhatsApp group) to share resources and ideas. There is strength in community — whether it’s organizing a carpool to an out-of-town school or starting a homeschool pod, having a few families on board can lighten the load.
- Reach Out to EdOpt: Don’t hesitate to use the free resources EdOpt offers. You can Find Your Options, or schedule a one-on-one consult with an EdOpt education advisor. We are here to listen to your situation and help map out a plan. Even if you’re just brainstorming (“What would homeschooling actually look like for us?” “Is there a private school that can take my two kids on short notice?”), EdOpt can help you gain clarity. Many of EdOpt’s team members are parents and experienced educators themselves — they will approach your concerns with empathy and practical know-how.
This article first appeared in an EdOpt blog post.
