A ten year agreement between the Hooksett School Board and Pinkerton Academy in Derry still needs to be finalized by a town vote in March. But Hooksett eighth-graders are already choosing the Derry school over Manchester high schools for the next school year.
Nearly 65% of Hooksett eighth-graders are going to Pinkerton for their freshmen year of high school. That’s a little more than 100 kids.
Pinkerton spokesman Chip Underhill says the numbers are encouraging.
“It was certainly unknown until Hooksett students registered their preference for where they wanted to go this fall, as to how many would, in fact, to come to Pinkerton.”
A formal arrangement has yet to be finalized that would require a minimum of 75 Hooksett freshmen attend Pinkerton each year. Midway into the ten-year deal, the requirement bumps up to 90%. But since 106 out of 166 are already electing to attend Pinkerton next school year, this is the first sign of how the town may vote on the deal come March.
To make sure those future requirements are met, the Hooksett School Board has been talking about creating a lottery.
Meanwhile, the makeup of decision-makers is going to be different. Pinkerton has announced that it has hired Griffin Morse as the new headmaster. And the same time Hooksett votes on the contract, they are also electing five new School Board members.