Nashua: Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

Among the Nashua School District's special offerings are nursery school and kindergarten, special education, English as a Second Language, an enrichment program, classes for the learning disabled and handicapped, and adult education. The district's "Credit Recovery" program offers learning additional opportunities to high school students at risk of dropping out. A number of Nashua schools have been "adopted" by local companies that provide tutoring, career guidance, field trips, minicourses, and faculty training. In the 2002–2003 school year the district opened two new schools: Nashua High School North and the Academy of Learning & Technology.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Nashua School District #42 as of the 2003–2004 school year.

Total enrollment: 13,325

Number of facilities elementary schools: 12

junior high/middle schools: 4 senior high schools: 2

Student/teacher ratio: 15:1

Teacher salaries average: $43,969

Funding per pupil: $7,433

Private and parochial schools in Nashua include Small World Country Day School, Bishop Guertin School, Nashua Catholic Regional Junior High School, and St. Christopher School.

Public Schools Information: Nashua School District #42, 141 Ledge St., Nashua, NH 03061-0687; telephone (603)594-4300

Colleges and Universities

Daniel Webster College, founded as a junior college in 1965, now offers bachelor's and associate's degrees in aeronautics, computer science, business, and engineering. The college abuts the Nashua Airport, where aeronautics students intern. The college's MBA program is designed specifically for working adults. New Hampshire Community Technical College, which is supported by the state, offers associate's and applied science degrees, as well as technical and business certificates. The college is one of seven in the state vocational-technical college system. Rivier College, a private Catholic institution, awards associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees in 20 areas of study, including business, education, liberal arts, sciences, nursing, and paralegal support. Its nursing program is affiliated with St. Joseph Hospital. Satellite campuses of many larger area colleges are located in Nashua.

Libraries and Research Centers

The Nashua Public Library maintains the state's second largest collection and circulates more items than any other library in New Hampshire. Its collection comprises more than 200,000 volumes. Extensive reference, business, and periodical sections are supplemented by computerized research services, a large media collection, and an active program for children. The library also has materials in more than 24 foreign languages. Public computer terminals provide access to the Internet, research databases, and software applications. The Chandler Branch Library and a bookmobile complete the public library system.

The Anne Bridge Baddour Library at Daniel Webster College maintains a collection of print, media, and electronic resources. Specialized resources are available to supplement all of the college's academic fields. Rivier College's Regina Library includes three floors of books, meeting rooms, a reference room, and an "electronic classroom" for hands-on instruction sessions. Other special libraries include those of Nashua Corporation and Sanders—A Lockheed Martin Company.

Public Library Information: Nashua Public Library, 2 Court Street, Nashua, NH 03060-3465; telephone (603)589-4600