New School Project Would Need Two Approvals

To get a new school project off the ground would take two favorable votes, two appropriations and two other variables — a concerted effort and one that engages the public.

These were some of the points that Diane Sullivan of the Massachusetts School Building Authority made on Wednesday, responding to questions from the Swampscott Committee.

The first vote is targeted for a Special Town Meeting in the fall, perhaps October, to meet a Nov. 5, deadline to remain eligible for state funds.

Town meeting members would vote on an estimated $600,000 appropriation to hire two firms to complete a two-year feasibility study and schematic design package for the project.

The state building authority would pay a percentage of the $600,000. Committee members asked how much of a percentage the state would pay and Sullivan said she would get back to them with that information. At last check no information was available.

The building authority funds towns up to the agreed upon percentage of reimbursement.

Therefore, a town must first approve the total appropriation and file invoices to get reimbursed, Sullivan said.

The fall Special Town Meeting vote would need a two-thirds majority from town meeting delegates or about 210 votes — if all of them came to the meeting.

If approved, the study would evaluate options, including new school construction, to meet the district’s elementary school needs. 

In addition to evaluating options, the study would produce design materials including schematics and site analysis.

If the fall vote fails, Swampscott would drop out of the pipeline for state aid on this proposal and have a harder time getting back into the pipeline for any future proposal, the MSBA spokeswoman said.

State aid is highly competitive, she said.

The district filed a statement of interest in state building aid at the start of 2012. The MSBA gave the proposal a thumbs up for the first stage of the eligibility process, approving it on a first reading.

Looking ahead, Swampscott Building Committee members said they want to arrange tours of Hadley School and reach out to residents and delegates to make a clear statement about the district's needs.

They have aging buildings that do not meet space, accessibility and operations' needs, school officials have said in the past.

Should the district succeed in the fall vote it would eventually need town-wide approval for the project's engineering and construction cost.

The soonest a school could be up and running would be four to five years away if a feasibility/schematic package is approved in the fall.

Voters, two years down the road, would be asked to approve the project that emerges from the feasibility study.

Committee members said they will proceed in a deliberate manner, step by step and assign specific tasks to particular members.

The committee meets next on Tuesday at 8 pm in Room B208 at Swampscott High School. It is a public meeting.

These are the members of the committee:

 

Designation Name and Title Address Voting Member? SBC member who is MCPPO certified* Garrett Baker SPS Facilities Director 200 Essex St Swampscott  01907 yes Local Chief Executive Officer Thomas Younger Town Administrator 22 Monument Ave Swampscott  01907 yes Administrator or Manager* Thomas Younger Town Administrator 22 Monument Ave Swampscott  01907 yes School Committee Member(minimum of one) Laurier Beaupre School Committee 207 Forest Ave Swampscott 01907 yes Superintendent of Schools Lynne Celli SPS Superintendent 207 Forest Ave Swampscott 01907 yes Local Official responsible for Building Maintenance Edward Cronin SPS Business Manager 207 Forest Ave Swampscott 01907 yes Representative of Office authorized by law to construct school buildings Selectmen's representative 22 Monument Ave Swampscott  01907 yes School Principal Sandra Rivers Principal - Hadley 24 Redington St Swampscott 01907 yes Member knowledgeable in educational mission and function of facility

Jon Flanagan Teacher Swampscott Schools 200 Essex St Swampscott  01907 yes Local budget official or member of local finance Committee Kenneth Ardon Finance Committee

22 Monument Ave Swampscott  01907 yes

Members of community with architecture, engineering and/or construction experience

 

Niles Tooher Electrical and energy engineer – assists in optimizing designs yes Other:  Please provide brief background info/expertise Joseph Crimmins Attorney, former chair of the town master planning committee   yes

 

Other:  Please provide brief background info/expertise

 

Glenn Paster Communications and marketing professional

 

yes