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The Committee discussed the likelihood of significant overrides if Lincoln were to no longer run the Hanscom schools. They also discussed the possibility of charging the approximately $135,000 annual cost of health insurance for retired Hanscom-based staff members against the Hanscom contract, the fact that some retired faculty worked in both the Lincoln and Hanscom schools and the need to consider this in allocating costs.
Mr. Brandmeyer said that finances are only part of the picture and that sharing costs allows the district to build scale for both curriculum and professional development. He said that Lincoln would face challenges without the contract and that Hanscom would also face challenges without the contract.
The Finance Committee will present its report to the Board of Selectmen on Monday, July 18. Ms. Dobrow said that she would speak to the educational benefits of the relationship with Hanscom. Pam Borgert will be there to provide the Hanscom point of view.
Mr. Brandmeyer reported on the Middle School “storefront project“ of replacing the front door and the slab in front of the door. This will be completed in September or October, later than initially anticipated. The design work has been done and approved. The vendor did not provide the bid in time. There is a plan to resolve this by the end of the month and begin the work. A temporary door will be installed while a new front door is fabricated. Mr. Hopping said that planning is being done for beginning the school year with a temporary front door. Students do not usually come in this door but parents do. The reception for the fall ‘meet and greet’ usually takes place outside in this area so a new location will need to be chosen. The slab will be completed first and the temporary door will be operational. This work is paid for by the DDESS.
Mr. Brandmeyer reported on three additional short-term projects which are in the design phase. Mr. Brandmeyer said that they should be finalized by the end of the DDESS fiscal year in September. One project involves making three bathrooms (two in the Middle School and one in the Primary School) ADA compliant. Another project involves the large plate glass windows which were covered with Mylar this spring. The initial plan was to replace them but this is being reassessed and installing wide railings where students bump up against the windows is being considered. The final potential project is upgrading the fire alarm system. Initially the fire chief said that the system was not adequate but now is says it is OK. Replacement would be a $400,000 project and may not be necessary if the current system is found to be appropriate for safety.
Mr. Brandmeyer described the long-term planning that could involve a project cost from $17 to $33 million to DDESS for the Hanscom School facilities. Funding for these projects would be military funding, but state and local representatives will be contacted to see whether any state funds could be secured on the school building project. DDESS, along with the administration and the Hanscom principals, has assessed the Hanscom facilities. The New England Army Corps of Engineers would do the design work. The Middle School has outlived its usefulness and the design, although award winning, has not proved to be practical for the New England climate. The Primary School needs significant renovations. Three building sites have been considered: (1) the site of the current schools, (2) an area behind the Middle School which is currently playing fields and may have toxic waste, and (3) another site that has very bad topography for building. The current site of the Middle School appears to be the most promising site for construction. A phased approach to construction is being considered as smaller projects are easier to fund than one big one. With a phased approach it is possible that not all phases of the project would be approved so that each project must be complete and self contained. Mike Smiley of DDESS is the overall coordinator of the planning and work.
One question is how many students the schools should be designed to accommodate. The current enrollment is roughly 600 but enrollment could rise to 940 with additions to the base from BRAC. Also renovation of base housing could result in more school age children residing on the base.
With new construction and renovation, the Hanscom facilities might be reconfigured from the current grades K-3 and 4-8 to grades K-2 or 3, 3-4 or 4-5, and 6-8. This would allow the schools to be organized with three clusters as the Lincoln School is. There is also room for flexibility in this configuration depending on enrollment. There might also be a way to bring the Hanscom preschool back to the base. Building a separate stand alone middle school is also being considered.
A problem is that in order to build on the current site, school space during construction is needed. The initial plan was to build temporary schools but this is not cost effective so the district has been asked to look for temporary housing.
The Committee discussed whether it might be possible to consolidate the Lincoln and Hanscom middle school students under one roof which would result in enough students to provide wider offerings. Mr. Brandmeyer said that DDESS would have difficulty funding a building that is not on the base. The Committee also discussed how Hanscom-facilities planning relates to renewal of the contract to run the Hanscom Schools.
Mr. Naso also said that the summer projects have been proceeding with great momentum. Thirteen projects have been completed and approximately 10 are in progress or scheduled for later in the summer.
Respectfully submitted,
Sara Rolley, School Committee Recording Secretary