- By Dan Veaner
- News
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The Facilities Group met nearly two weeks ago for the last time to complete its work on the project. The committee has met in a series of meetings since March to come up with a project, built from the ground up after the BOE chose not to bring an approximately $40 million project to the voters last year. The result is a "portfolio" describing a project costing half that amount that was presented to the BOE Wednesday. "The board of education will conduct a public hearing on the project at 7:30pm on Thursday, October 5 in the high school library," said School Superintendent Mark Lewis. Formal action regarding a referendum will take place at the regular board meeting on October 12 at 6pm."
David Dubin, who has opposed the project and the process of developing it since the beginning, addressed the board. "The presentation you're getting tonight was never seen by me," he said. A draft of the document was distributed to committee members by e-mail Monday for final comment before being sent to the printer, but some members had trouble opening the large PDF file. Nevertheless the document didn't contain anything the committee hadn't seen before except for fellow committee members' dissenting views.
"I also wanted you to be aware of the numbers you are dealing with," Dubin continued. "The question we were never allowed to answer is why are we discussing a $20 million project in a declining population?" This spoke to the question of using existing space flexibly to reduce the need for building. Some committee members also said that programs should be changed to fit the existing facility, curtailing the music program and cutting business courses.
The group had argued these points heatedly, while Lewis pointed out that it was beyond the scope of the committee to change program -- that its purpose was to address current program needs. Stone has explained on numerous occasions that the high school is overcrowded now, noting that the standard for scheduling rooms is 80% usage during the school day. "100% of the rooms are booked over 80%," she said, also noting that classes are held in the hallways, in closet-like spaces, and that some classrooms she does have are overcrowded or unsafe. "We have done everything in our power to optimize the schedule in this building."
Dissenting views and comments were included in the portfolio along with the project that committee members voted to show the School Board. While the committee was highly contentious, most participants agreed on infrastructure and maintenance issues. Programming and overcrowding issues were a source of much disagreement to the point where the Middle School program issues were taken off the table until such a time as the space issue could be revisited, raising the possibility that the fifth grade might move to the elementary school. That left the High School, which was overcrowded last year, and has about 40 more students this year than last.
The committee started out with over 40 members comprised of school district residents and school administrators and teachers, as well as design team members, though there was attrition as meetings became more difficult and negative. The process was facilitated by Marc Stammer, a community member who showed unusual patience and fortitude throughout the grueling meetings. In thanking the members of the committee, Stone and design team, Lewis singled out Stammer for a job well done.
The proposal splits the project into two propositions. The first proposes repairs to all three schools and the bus garage, plus additions and alterations to the High School for a total cost of $17,760,000. The second can only pass if the first also passes. It adds music and technology additions and alterations to the project for an additional $2,105,000. The process is that the BOE will take the recommendation and make its own changes, if any. They will vote on whether to bring a final proposal to district voters on October 12.
Lewis recommended that the board approve the project scope in their October 12 meeting, as well as adopting the referendum propositions. Lewis also recommended that the board set a date for the community to vote on the project no later than February of 2007. If passed, the design team estimated that construction could begin in the Spring of 2008 with a completion date of December, 2010.
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