Schools win shot at funds 18 on narrowed list for building money

[Guest guest]

Schools win shot at funds

18 on narrowed list for building money

By Vaznis

Boston, MA*

Globe Staff / December 2, 2007

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/12/02/schools_win_shot

_at_funds/?p1=email_to_a_friend

The state has selected 18 area schools in need of repair as leading

candidates in the first round of competition for long-awaited state

construction money.

more stories like thisFunding to fix everything from clanking

heating pipes to crumbling walls won't come immediately. But, in a

major step, the state School Building Authority announced last week

that it would oversee studies of solutions for building woes at

certain schools, winnowing a pool of 162 contenders statewide down

to 83. The funding is the first available for school construction in

five years.

For some districts, the studies may lead to relatively small

upgrades, such as replacing a boiler; in other towns, they may lead

to major renovation and expansion, or even construction of a new

school building.

This region's strongest candidates for new buildings are Dedham's

Avery Elementary School, Quincy's Central Middle School, and Hanover

High School, all deemed to be among the state's most deteriorated.

The state also is considering funding for large school projects in

Carver, Hingham, Holbrook, Norwood, Plymouth, Rochester, Rockland,

and Sharon.

The remaining seven schools that survived the state's first cut are

seeking help with much smaller building repairs.

Now the chosen 18 will compete against 65 other school projects

statewide for $500 million in aid that will be available for each of

the next five years.

While being selected for a formal study of project solutions doesn't

guarantee funding, the state's decision to move forward is viewed by

local leaders as confirmation that something needs fixing, and they

cheered the advancement of their projects. State reimbursement would

be between 40 and 80 percent, and the projects could cost tens of

millions of dollars.

" I'm a firm believer these schools are the heartbeat of a

neighborhood, " said Dedham Superintendent June Doe. " We are looking

forward to not only developing a good elementary school for our

students but for the community. "

Nine other districts south of Boston that applied for state help did

not pass last week's prioritizing competition. Their projects were

put on hold, or they were told more investigation is required. Those

districts are Abington, Scituate, Braintree, Canton, East

Bridgewater, Norfolk County Agricultural High School, Norton, Old

Colony Regional Vocational Tech, and Southeastern Regional

Vocational Tech.

The districts with winning proposals will be required to hire a

project manager and hash out an agreement with the state on the

scope, schedule, and cost-sharing of a feasibility study. The

studies will also evaluate nonconstruction options, such as

redistricting or regionalizing schools.

The state would then use the studies, which would take a few months

to complete, to select which projects to pursue. Local voters or

city councils would approve or reject the projects.

Money for the smaller repair projects could be available as early as

the spring.

Dedham is hoping to build a new elementary school behind the high

school, which would replace the nearby Avery School, built in the

1920s. Concrete is crumbling off the school's walls and its brick

exterior is eroding. Classroom space is tight, and students in the

before-school breakfast program eat in a basement corridor because

there's no cafeteria.

more stories like thisRockland, meanwhile, is hoping to expedite a

new middle school, having already conducted a feasibility study.

" We're hoping our study will suffice, " said Rockland Superintendent

Retchless, stressing that Middle School needs to be

replaced soon. " We had chunks of ceiling plaster two feet wide

falling on teachers' desks last year and almost had to delay the

opening of school. We spent a large amount of money repairing the

ceiling. . . . The school has done a wonderful job for the last

eighty years but its time has come. "

The school has no science labs or lockers. Water leaks into the

building during storms, while two pumps run simultaneously in the

basement because a creek runs underneath the school. A community

group, Save Our Schools, has already mobilized to build support for

higher property taxes to pay for a new school. School and town

leaders will meet with School Building Authority officials on Jan. 9

to discuss the next steps.

A handful of districts statewide, including Hingham, are in a better

position to start projects sooner because they pushed ahead with

planning or even construction during the five-year moratorium on

school construction aid. Those districts run a risk of not receiving

reimbursement, but the School Building Authority will examine the

work to date to see if it matches new state standards.

Hingham is pushing to build a fourth elementary school to alleviate

crowding. The school would go up on the site of a former elementary

school, which was knocked down two years ago. Already designed, the

new school would cost about $26 million and could accommodate 630

students.

" We are ready to go. We have been awaiting this opportunity, " said

Hingham Superintendent Dorothy Galo.

Districts that didn't receive the initial nod for a study could

still move forward in the coming months. Two schools - Scituate's

Gates Intermediate School and Abington's Frolio Middle School - are

on the cusp of advancement.

Some school district officials weren't surprised they were not top

contenders. Canton put in a proposal for an elevator at the building

that houses administrative offices and preschool programs. Better

accessibility for the handicapped would enable the district to offer

more programs in the upper floor.

" It would have been great to have received some compensation, " said

Superintendent D'Auria.

" We knew it was a long shot, given that other schools in the state

are facing safety issues and possible loss of accreditation. "

Vaznis can be reached at jvaznis@....