We are excited to announce the introduction of our new Licensed Nursing Assistant program at the Sugar River Valley Regional Technical Center - Claremont. We will begin offering classes this Wednesday, September 9, 2026. 

The Newport School District had previously provided this Career and Technical Education program, but discontinued the offering recently. In addition to our own students, students from Newport and Sunapee, part of the Region 10 Technical Center Agreement, will be able to enroll immediately and will be provided transportation by their districts. Students from other surrounding towns that were not part of the regional agreement will also be able to enroll at no cost to their families, but they will need to provide their own transportation.

“When she heard that Newport was no longer going to offer the LNA program, SRVRTC principal Michelle Herrington sprang into action to rapidly get a brand-new program off the ground here in Claremont,” said Claremont Superintendent Tim Broadrick. “The state has already approved the program, we have a qualified instructor, and any student who wants to have a healthcare career will have a great place to start.”  Just as important, Broadrick stressed, students who were already enrolled in Newport’s program will be allowed to continue without interruption.

Licensed Nursing Assistants (LNAs) are trained medical professionals who can provide basic daily care to patients. LNA programs like the one offered in Claremont are often the first step in pursuing a nursing career or other job paths in the healthcare field. The program will be taught by Julia Kelly, a Registered Nurse (RN) who is qualified to teach both Medical Assistant and Health Assisting (LNA) programs. The breadth of the LNA course allows it to be embedded into the existing Medical Assisting program at SRVRTC-Claremont. This will allow SRVRTC-Claremont to teach both during the same hours to students who enroll in both levels One and Two.

LNA programs have a clinical, hands-on element requirement for students. Newport students were getting clinical experiences in a nursing home environment. Claremont will look to maintain those agreements and pursue new partnerships with Valley Regional Hospital and other facilities.

“Newport LNA students are absolutely welcome here, whether they are just starting their LNA journey or they are further along in the program,” said Principal Herrington. “Maintaining the agreements will provide a continuity from that program, but we also want to expand on what can be offered. We’re reaching out to River Valley Community College to start a conversation about expanding our articulation agreement.” 

The Region 10 Agreement is a cooperative effort between Claremont, Newport, and Sunapee to offer career and technical education (CTE) programs to their communities. Students from these towns can participate in SRVRTC programs (including Claremont’s new LNA program) at no out-of-pocket cost from families and transportation is provided to Region 10 students. Under New Hampshire law, students in surrounding towns can also attend these CTE programs at no cost directly from families, but these students need to provide their own transportation to and from the center.

In 2024-2025, a total of 284 students took an exploratory, introductory, or trade program at SRVRTC-Claremont. This year, 484 students are scheduled to participate in vocational-technical programs. With the addition of this new LNA program, Principal Herrington expects that number to grow even more. The SRVRTC also has plans to expand middle school exploratory programs for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students throughout the new school year.

“I’ve seen so many kids light up when they have a chance to do hands-on work with experienced tradespeople,” continued Principal Herrington. “It’s rewarding when I get to see kids get excited about their education and career opportunities."

 “Principal Herrington has done an outstanding job in just a couple of years at SRVRTC-Claremont,” said Superintendent Broadrick. “As Claremont begins thinking about strategy in this era of declining enrollment and inevitable school district consolidation, this Technical Center should be a crown jewel of Upper Valley public education.”

We will also work to establish an adult workforce development LNA certification program to run in the evenings at SRVRTC-Claremont. Principal Herrington and Superintendent Broadrick are actively pursuing grant funding for this program and are working toward partnerships with local labor organizations including NH Apprenticeships and WorkReadyNH.

Families with students interested in the new LNA program at SRVRTC-Claremont should contact Principal Herrington at mherrington@sau6.org

or 603-543-4291 x7001.