Startup Public Charter School Will Operate From Joslin House On Campus Beginning In The Fall
After years of imagining possibilities, Keene State College and Antioch University have made a mutual decision not to move forward with co-location on Keene State’s campus.
Antioch instead will remain on Avon Street and solidify its partnership with Monadnock Family Services, which bought the building from Antioch in June 2022, and uses it for mental health counselling and other non-profit services. Antioch has been leasing back space in the building since the sale. Its largest academic programs at the New England campus are in Clinical Mental Health Counselling, Couples and Family Therapy, and a Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD). This is a natural fit for the two organizations, according to Antioch University Chancellor Bill Groves.
Keene State President Melinda Treadwell said that she and Groves spoke this week to confirm the change in direction.
“We are happy that Antioch University will retain its home in Keene,” Treadwell said. “It is a vibrant institution, and its talented faculty, staff, and students bring their great gifts to our region.”
Groves added, “We have so appreciated Keene State’s willingness to work with us and their flexibility in imagining various co-location opportunities on the Keene State campus. I know we will continue to make the most of opportunities to collaborate for the benefit of our communities.”
A graduate institution, Antioch University New England is one of six Antioch campuses and locations nationwide. Last fall, Antioch paused plans to construct a new campus building at the corner of Main and Winchester Streets, where two vacant residence halls stood. Higher-than-anticipated construction costs led to the project pause.
Keene State will move forward with its plan to welcome a new public charter school, Granite Valley Preparatory (GVP), to campus in the fall. The plan had been to have GVP renovate and occupy Blake House on the roundabout at Winchester and Main streets, occupying temporary space while renovations were being completed.
This change in plans allows GVP to move into Joslin House, at the corner of Main Street and Wyman Way, in a facility that can accommodate the school’s planned growth more easily from 9th through 11th graders to 12th grade.
“We are thrilled that this new development allows us to hit the ground running in the fall,” says Chris Smith, co-founder of GVP.
Start-up funding from the state for GVP will also be put to direct use to outfit the building for the school, as opposed to being earmarked for accessibility upgrades to Blake House.
Keene State has learned a lot about the synergetic power that strategic and smart partnerships can yield, Treadwell said. Already, River Valley Community College’s Keene campus is in a building on the Keene State campus.
“Education ecosystems that thrive enhance learning and social opportunities, maximizing chances for meaningful academic success for all,” Treadwell said.
