GOFFSTOWN — A committee will meet Thursday to gather data for the study of Mountain View Middle School, officials said.

Thursday’s meeting will be open to the public, but public comments will not be permitted, said SAU 19 Superintendent Stacy Buckley.

Unlike regular school board meetings, Buckley said there is no requirement indicating that a meeting must be posted within a certain time frame, and those interested in attending can contact the SAU office for further details.

The district came under fire in April for deciding to hire a consultant to study issues at the school, which has been criticized for lack of academic rigor and poor culture and climate. The consultant was expected to cost taxpayers an estimated $30,000 to $60,000.

According Buckley, the hybrid approach between hiring the consultant and conducting the entire study in-house was to recruit volunteers to do some of the legwork, which will help reduce the total cost of the consultant.

“A consultant will base it [the cost] on how much time and effort will go into it,” Buckley said.

A team of about 20 volunteers, representing a cross-section of the school community will begin the task of gathering data that will help pinpoint what the issues are at the school, attended by about 890 students from Goffstown, New Boston and Dunbarton.

The committee includes parents, teachers, staff, special education representatives, as well as representatives from school administration and the Goffstown School Board, Buckley said.

“That committee will look at what we have for data,” Buckley said, but added that the committee will not be interpreting the information gathered.

“The consultant will help us take the data gathered and interpret it,” she said.

Buckley said the committee could look at items such as test scores, the percentage of students that make honor roll, or how MVMS compares to other schools similar in size, but it will look at a broad range of information.

The committee will meet again to determine what other information will need to be gathered by the consultant, which Buckley wants to choose by the fall.

“The committee will let us know the pieces of the puzzle we don’t have,” Buckley said.

The work of the committee will help drive the process of choosing the consultant.

“We want to find the consultant that matches the outcomes we’re seeking,” Buckley said. The consultant’s work is expected to continue into the fall.

kremillard@newstote.com