HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-09-24 ad Hoc School Building Committee MinutesREADING SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE
MINUTES
SEPTEMBER 24, 1998
A MEETING OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE WAS
HELD ON SEPTEMBER 24 1998 AT THE SUPERINTENDENTS CONFERENCE ROOM.
THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:46PM. PRESENT WERE
ROGER SANSTED, JOE LUPI, JEFF STRUBLE, TIM TWOMEY RICH RADVILLE, JOE FINNEGAN
AND RUSS GRAHAM.
MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL SIZE AND ENROLLMENT COMMITTEE HAD
BEEN INVITED, AND THREE MEMBERS OF THAT COMMITTEE WERE PRESENT.
EARLFLANSBURGH AND ASSOCIATES PRESENTED THREE SEPARATE
OPTIONS FOR ANALYSIS BY THE COMMITTEE.
OPTION A CALLS FOR SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONS TO THREE OF THE FOUR
PRESENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN READING. THIS WOULD BRING THE BARROWS
SCHOOL TO AN ENROLLMENT OF 550 WITH THE ADDITION OF TWO KINDERGARTDEN
ROOMS, NINE REGULAR CLASSROOMS, ONE SPED ROOM AND A NEW GYM. IT ALSO
CALLS FOR RENOVATION TO 40,500 SQUARE FEET OF THE SCHOOL FOR A TOTAL SQUARE
FOOTAGE OF 67,350.
THE EATON SCHOOL WOULD HAVE 618 STUDENTS WITH ONE NEW
KINDERGARDEN, FIVE REGULAR CLASSROOMS, ONE SPED ROOM, A NEW LIBRARY AND A
NEW KITCHEN. IT WOULD ALSO CALL FOR RENOVATION TO 48,000 SQUARE FEET OF
BUILDING AND WOULD BE A SCHOOL OF 73,800 SQUARE FEET.
THE KILLAM SCHOOL WOULD ADD A NEW KINDERGARDEN, FIVE
REGULAR CLASSROOMS ONE SPED ROOM AND A NEW GYM. IN ADDITION, 62,000 SQUARE
FEET WOULD BE RENOVATED CREATING A BUILDING OF 81,350 SQUARE FEET HOUSING
666 STUDENTS.
THE TOTAL COST OF THIS OPTION WOULD BE 23.5 MILLION DOLLARS WITH
- A NET TO READING (ASSUMING REIMBURSEMENT BY THE STATE OF TWO THIRDS) OF 7.8
MILLION DOLLARS.
OPTION B AS PRESENTED CALLES FOR AN ADDITION TO THE BARROWS
SCHOOL OF TWO NEW KINDERGARDENS, FOUR NEW REGULAR CLASSROOMS, A NEW
GYM AND RENOVATION TO 40,500 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE. IN ADDITION TO THIS A NEW
SCHOOL WOULD BE BUILT FOR 424 STUDENTS ON LAND COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS
THE DIVIDENCE ROAD SITE WHICH IS ALREADY OWNED BY THE TOWN OF READING AND
SPECIFICALLY DESIGNATED FOR SCHOOL AND RECREATIONAL PURPOSES. THE TOTAL
COST OF THE BARROWS ADDITION AND RENOVATION WOULD BE 6.4 MILLION DOLLARS
AND THE COST OF THE NEW SCHOOL WOULD BE 8.8 MILLION DOLLARS MAKING THE
TOTAL COST OF OPTION B 15.2 MILLION WITH A NET COST TO READING OF 5 MILLION
DOLLARS. IF KILLAM PROBLEMS WERE ADRESSED THEN IT WOULD COST ANOTHER
MINIMUM OF 1.7 MILLION AND A MAXIMUM OF 5.9 MILLION.
OPTION C WOULD CALL FOR THE BUILDING OF A LARGER NEW SCHOOL AT
THE DIVIDENCE ROAD SITE HOUSING 552 STUDENTS.
THE TOTAL COST OF THIS OPTION WOULD BE 11.5 MILLION WITH JUST THE
NEW SCHOOL NET TO READING OF 3.8 MILLION, BUT THE SCENARIO WOULD ALSO HAVE
TO CALL FOR SIGNIFICANT RENOVATIONS TO THE OTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AT A
MINIMUM COST OF 2.3 MILLION AND A MAXIMUM COST OF 10.4 MILLION. IT IS BELIEVED
THAT SBAB WOULD INSIST ON THESE RENOVATIONS SINCE THEY WOULD EXPECT A
TOTAL ANSWER TO THE ELEMENTARY PROBLEM TO BE THE RESULT OF THIS ENDEAVOR.
TIM TWOMEY WONDERED IF ANY OF THE OPTIONS COULD DO ANYTHING
TO ADRESS THE BALANCE WITHIN CLASSROOMS AT VARIOUS GRADE LEVELS. SID
BOWEN THOUGHT THAT MIGHT BE VERY DIFFICULT TO DO UNDER ANY OPTION, BUT HE
WOULD TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT IT.
IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT THE DIVIDENCE ROAD SITE WAS, IN THE
OPINION OF THE ARCHITECT, A SUPERB SITE FOR A NEW SCHOOL.
THE CHAIR POINTED OUT THAT OPTION B WITHOUT KILLAM SOLVED THE
xOLLMf9NZCRUNCH AND WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO SBAB.
CONSIDERING THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF ALL OF THE OPTIONS, IT
/ WAS DEEMED IMPERATIVE THAT THE COMMITTEE MEET WITH BETH KLEPEIS, DIRECTOR
OF FONANCE, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
ON MOTION OF JOE LUPI, SECONDED BY TIM TWOMEY, THE COMMITTEE
F, J
VOTED TO ADJOURN AT 9:46PM.
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