The Future of MVCS

Welcome to the NEW CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION page, where we will be posting monthly updates to keep you up-to-date on the latest plans and progress of Mountain Village Charter School’s “forever home.” This has been a long process that began long ago in the pre-Covid world; we appreciate your patience and dedication to MVCS while we have written grants, filled out endless forms, jumped through hoops, back pedaled, and jumped through more hoops. We finally see a light at the end of the tunnel!

In 2021, the MVCS Board of Trustees purchased a 32 acre plot of land on Tenney Mountain Highway with frontage along the Baker River. The school site sits above the river floodplain, which hosts a variety of ecosystems, including a flowing brook, that have developed from past land use and occupation. During the past two years, the Board of Trustees has been working with architects and the Bank of NH to create a feasible construction plan for the new MVCS campus. The portion of the land where the new buildings will be constructed has been logged and stumped, and the BoT plans to hook into the Plymouth town water and sewer systems. Once we receive the final engineering plans, the BoT will finalize the bank loan and apply for a building permit from the town of Plymouth. Delaney Carrier (BoT, site and facilities committee) anticipates that these will be secured by the end of the summer 2023.

landscape design

Rutger’s University Landscape Architect Graduate Dani Daboll developed outdoor plans for the acreage at the new MVCS campus. After first visiting the new site in the Summer of 2022, Dani spent a total of 4 weeks on campus, meeting with staff and observing students in their indoor and outdoor classrooms to understand the needs and wants of our one-of-a-kind Montessori nature-based school. She also included families in the conversation, sharing her developing plans at the Back-to-School potluck and an evening showcase. She incorporated feedback from staff, students, and families to create her final design. This spring (2024), Dani presented her design at the new MVCS site, outlining her vision for the new school landscape. This project was the culmination of Dani’s Master’s degree, which she earned this spring.

To see Dani’s plans, click the “Learn More” button below.

Site photos courtesy of Dani Daboll

architectural plans

The site plan (above) shows classroom buildings in green and the administrative building in pink, facing onto a central courtyard. These will be built on the flat stretch of land that has been cleared and is visible from Tenney Mountain highway (sneak a peek as you drive by!). The driveway will run in front of the buildings and courtyard, ending in a looped parking lot to the west of the buildings (left side of image).

In the 3-D rendering (left), you can see the classroom buildings center and left; the administrative building is on the right. Classrooms and the administration building will feature open layouts with high ceilings; an exterior four foot “sidewalk” runs along all sides of the buildings, with a corresponding roof overhang, which will provide passage for students and staff between classrooms in inclement weather.