Add as a preferred source on Google

NH CTE Center Gets 25 million Makeover

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 08/12/19

Officials recently broke ground on a technical school rebuild in Hudson, NH. The Wilbur H. Palmer Career and Technical Education Center, based in Alvirne High School, offers 17 programs of study. Students bus in from 15 other high schools to take part in programs on computer science, digital media, health science and technology and pre-engineering, among others. The center also runs several businesses that are open to the school community, including a convenience store, a restaurant, a preschool and a greenhouse and flower shop.

The new center will include 38,000 square feet of new construction as a first phase. Subsequent phases will encompass interior renovations covering 47,000 square feet.

Among the new additions, according to local reporting, will be a media studio, automated manufacturing and metal fabrication facilities, expansions to computer science and health science programs, and a culinary arts program that’s integrated with the finance and marketing programs.

The project is estimated to cost $25 million, with $8.2 million coming from local tax sources and $17 million from the state. However, material cost escalation and a labor shortage that cropped up when new building starts escalated in the state have led to construction delays and budget overruns. Right now, the project faces a possible $2.5 million shortage in state funding. However, the district said it hopes to resolve the funding shortfall over the next 18 months.

The center is named after the late Wilbur Palmer, who as vocational director at the high school spent two decades promoting the idea of constructing a dedicated vocational center. That finally received state funding in 1991 and opened in 1992.

The school is being built by Harvey Construction in Bedford and designed by Lavallee Brensinger in Manchester.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • UCNJ Launches $30M Modernization of Physical Education Center

    The Union College of Union County (UCNJ) in Cranford, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $30-million modernization project for its Physical Education Center (PECK), according to a news release. The college partnered with DIGroup Architecture for the project’s design, transitioning the existing 42,000-square-foot structure into a campus hub for student athletics and campus life.

  • South Texas K–12 District Debuts Region’s First Electric Bus Fleet

    The Valley View Independent School District in Pharr, Texas, recently announced a partnership with Highland Electric Fleets to launch the district’s—and the region’s—first fleet of all-electric school buses, according to a news release.

  • Texas K–12 District to Build New Elementary, High Schools

    The High Island Independent School District on the Bolivar Peninsula in Southeast Texas recently announced that construction on a new elementary school and a new high school will begin in January 2026, according to local news. Funding will come from a $27.9-million bond passed in May 2025.

  • Texas District Finishes Construction on New Middle School, Admin Building

    The Westwood Independent School District recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Westwood Middle School and Administration Building in Palestine, Texas, according to a news release. The campus covers 106,000 square feet and has the capacity for 650 students in grades 6–8, and it will also play home to the district’s staff and administration.

Digital Edition