by Loumarie I. Rodriguez
BRIDGEWATER-ROXBURY-WASHINGTON — The Region 12 Board of Education, meeting Monday, September 9, could not come to an agreement over estimated costs for renovations to Shepaug Middle High School or the pre-kindergarten to Grade 5 building project.
Two separate presentations where given to explain to the board what the estimated costs were for the projects.
The board was to decide which of the options presented would be a part of questions at the referendum slated for Tuesday, November 5.
Board members were not come to any agreements or pass any motions. They will continue discussing the issue at their next meeting on Monday, September 16.
Don O’Leary, the region’s director of facilities, presented three options for renovations to Shepaug School.
The first option offered repairs that would include one science lab renovation and improvements to the school’s entrance. Option two includes the repairs from the first option and adds a number of aesthetic inclusions and ADA additions.
Option three includes all repairs from previous options plus site improvements, pool repairs and septic inclusion.
Washington resident Anthony Amato reminded the board of the work he did in mid-June for the pre-kindergarten to grade 5 building project.
The board on Monday, June 17, agreed to create a report on a proposal to amend the Region 12 regionalization plan.
The report contains plans for the construction of a new pre-kindergarten to grade 5 school on the Shepaug campus.
Mr. Amato went over the costs and what the impact would be year by year with different bonding plans.
The board could not agree on the amount of money to be spent or the space to be constructed.
Board member, Tony Bedini felt the board kept linking together the renovations project for the middle high school and the pre-kindergarten to grade 5 project, causing confusion on both issues.
“I don’t understand why we keep tying them both together,” said Mr. Bedini. “They are two separate issues.”
After much debate, board members failed to approve any of the multiple motions brought to the table, including one to hire a project manager.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patricia Cosentino told board members they can’t move forward with anything, because they have to decide what work needs to be done for the middle high school.
“I am not going to support any motion, because I feel that we don’t know what we are doing,” board member Valerie Andersen said.
Board member Greg Cava, who did not agree with Ms. Andersen, talked about the importance of setting the money aside in order to have it.
“If you think that you are spending all the money over the next five years, it’s not true,” said Mr. Cava.
Dr. Cosentino was disappointed that the board did not pass the motion to hire a project manager.
“The staff works very hard to prepare all this information and Mr. O’Leary is an expert in his field,” Dr. Cosentino said. “He has been working with the facilities committee and Tony [Amato] for endless hours, telling you what this building needs.
“It’s clear in the Kaestle Boos report and we’ve explained it to you, but then you don’t like our answers. Then, when we have the opportunity to bring someone in here that is an expert, a project manager, that at least could be another person to come and give you information, you turn it down. I really don’t have much more to give you.”
Dr. Cosentino explained it is time to seek bids for the pre-kindergarten to grade 5 building. The plan is to find people who want to bid and once their qualifications are approved, Mr. Amato and a committee will decide who they want to hear from.
The committee will give the education specifications, which were approved earlier in the evening, to whomever they choose and will come back with architectural drawings.
“This is not my area of expertise,” said Dr. Cosentino. “We have nobody except Don, who will be the person that will go over the plan to make sure that it’s appropriate.
“We are spinning our wheels. I understand there is a lot of decisions to make ... but I don’t know what else I could share or bring to the table.”
“I think it’s a matter of time,” said Ms. Andersen. “We need to be more firm on what we are doing. Of course we are going to need a project manager, but it’s premature.
“Once we get the number for the second part of it, then I certainly would be voting for a project manager.”
Earlier in the evening, the board considered the education specifications for the pre-kindergarten to grade 5 building. The board received a draft of the education specifications on Monday, August 19.
The draft explained in detail what the new pre-kindergarten to grade 5 building should include. The board was given a consolidated school from 2007 to compare with the 2013 version.
Ms. Andersen asked if it would be possible to create a multi-purpose room in order to save on square footage.
She suggested the gymnasium could act as a cafeteria as well, although board member Michelle Gorra argued that more space allows for scheduling flexibility.
A lot of the extra square footage would be used as storage space.
“They did a good job putting together the ed specs,” said Mr. Bedini. “You certainly are not going to hand this [ed specs] to an architect. I think we have a good document.”
The board went over the Real Estate Impact study, conducted by Chris Kerin of Kerin & Fazio to see if residential property sales would be affected by closing schools in two of the region’s towns.
Researching a town in Vermont that closed a school in 1998, he found that the results where not representative to the Region 12’s situation. Due to lack of available sales data, he concluded that he does not see a clear course of action that would give credible results.
The board paid about $7,000 to have the study done. Ms. Andersen and board member, Susan Stumpf, agreed that Mr. Kerin should send a full report despite lack of results.
“We are entitled to the data he found,” Chair James Hirschfield said.
The board’s Education Committee will meet 7 p.m. Monday, September 16, in the Shepaug library.
Ms. Gorra explained the region’s administrators will report on new initiatives now in place. She stressed the importance of stopping by the meeting to hear about all the new items that are being brought to the schools.
Dr. Cosentino went over the beginning of the school year, reporting that as of September 5, there were 64 students at Burnham, Booth Free has 85 students, Washington Primary has 154 students, Shepaug Middle School has 200 and Shepaug High School has 294.
“We did have an excellent beginning of the school year,” said Dr. Cosentino. “It was seamless. Things are going very well at the middle high school.
“I want to publicly thank the administration, the staff, parents and the board for making everything happen so wonderfully.”
The other motion passed that evening was the date for Shepaug’s graduation ceremony for class of 2014; it is June 14, 2014.
Two separate presentations where given to explain to the board what the estimated costs were for the projects.
The board was to decide which of the options presented would be a part of questions at the referendum slated for Tuesday, November 5.
Board members were not come to any agreements or pass any motions. They will continue discussing the issue at their next meeting on Monday, September 16.
The first option offered repairs that would include one science lab renovation and improvements to the school’s entrance. Option two includes the repairs from the first option and adds a number of aesthetic inclusions and ADA additions.
Option three includes all repairs from previous options plus site improvements, pool repairs and septic inclusion.
Washington resident Anthony Amato reminded the board of the work he did in mid-June for the pre-kindergarten to grade 5 building project.
The board on Monday, June 17, agreed to create a report on a proposal to amend the Region 12 regionalization plan.
The report contains plans for the construction of a new pre-kindergarten to grade 5 school on the Shepaug campus.
Mr. Amato went over the costs and what the impact would be year by year with different bonding plans.
The board could not agree on the amount of money to be spent or the space to be constructed.
Board member, Tony Bedini felt the board kept linking together the renovations project for the middle high school and the pre-kindergarten to grade 5 project, causing confusion on both issues.
“I don’t understand why we keep tying them both together,” said Mr. Bedini. “They are two separate issues.”
After much debate, board members failed to approve any of the multiple motions brought to the table, including one to hire a project manager.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patricia Cosentino told board members they can’t move forward with anything, because they have to decide what work needs to be done for the middle high school.
“I am not going to support any motion, because I feel that we don’t know what we are doing,” board member Valerie Andersen said.
Board member Greg Cava, who did not agree with Ms. Andersen, talked about the importance of setting the money aside in order to have it.
“If you think that you are spending all the money over the next five years, it’s not true,” said Mr. Cava.
Dr. Cosentino was disappointed that the board did not pass the motion to hire a project manager.
“The staff works very hard to prepare all this information and Mr. O’Leary is an expert in his field,” Dr. Cosentino said. “He has been working with the facilities committee and Tony [Amato] for endless hours, telling you what this building needs.
“It’s clear in the Kaestle Boos report and we’ve explained it to you, but then you don’t like our answers. Then, when we have the opportunity to bring someone in here that is an expert, a project manager, that at least could be another person to come and give you information, you turn it down. I really don’t have much more to give you.”
Dr. Cosentino explained it is time to seek bids for the pre-kindergarten to grade 5 building. The plan is to find people who want to bid and once their qualifications are approved, Mr. Amato and a committee will decide who they want to hear from.
The committee will give the education specifications, which were approved earlier in the evening, to whomever they choose and will come back with architectural drawings.
“This is not my area of expertise,” said Dr. Cosentino. “We have nobody except Don, who will be the person that will go over the plan to make sure that it’s appropriate.
“We are spinning our wheels. I understand there is a lot of decisions to make ... but I don’t know what else I could share or bring to the table.”
“I think it’s a matter of time,” said Ms. Andersen. “We need to be more firm on what we are doing. Of course we are going to need a project manager, but it’s premature.
“Once we get the number for the second part of it, then I certainly would be voting for a project manager.”
Earlier in the evening, the board considered the education specifications for the pre-kindergarten to grade 5 building. The board received a draft of the education specifications on Monday, August 19.
The draft explained in detail what the new pre-kindergarten to grade 5 building should include. The board was given a consolidated school from 2007 to compare with the 2013 version.
Ms. Andersen asked if it would be possible to create a multi-purpose room in order to save on square footage.
She suggested the gymnasium could act as a cafeteria as well, although board member Michelle Gorra argued that more space allows for scheduling flexibility.
A lot of the extra square footage would be used as storage space.
“They did a good job putting together the ed specs,” said Mr. Bedini. “You certainly are not going to hand this [ed specs] to an architect. I think we have a good document.”
The board went over the Real Estate Impact study, conducted by Chris Kerin of Kerin & Fazio to see if residential property sales would be affected by closing schools in two of the region’s towns.
Researching a town in Vermont that closed a school in 1998, he found that the results where not representative to the Region 12’s situation. Due to lack of available sales data, he concluded that he does not see a clear course of action that would give credible results.
The board paid about $7,000 to have the study done. Ms. Andersen and board member, Susan Stumpf, agreed that Mr. Kerin should send a full report despite lack of results.
“We are entitled to the data he found,” Chair James Hirschfield said.
The board’s Education Committee will meet 7 p.m. Monday, September 16, in the Shepaug library.
Ms. Gorra explained the region’s administrators will report on new initiatives now in place. She stressed the importance of stopping by the meeting to hear about all the new items that are being brought to the schools.
Dr. Cosentino went over the beginning of the school year, reporting that as of September 5, there were 64 students at Burnham, Booth Free has 85 students, Washington Primary has 154 students, Shepaug Middle School has 200 and Shepaug High School has 294.
“We did have an excellent beginning of the school year,” said Dr. Cosentino. “It was seamless. Things are going very well at the middle high school.
“I want to publicly thank the administration, the staff, parents and the board for making everything happen so wonderfully.”
The other motion passed that evening was the date for Shepaug’s graduation ceremony for class of 2014; it is June 14, 2014.
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