1. What (preventative) maintenance has been done over the years? 

• A great deal of maintenance has been done and continues to be done. During the heating season we have the water in our heating system tested and treated to help protect the boilers, pipes and heating coils from corrosion. 

• During the school vacations and the summer months the custodial staff strip and re-wax all the floors in the classrooms and corridors, paint walls, clean carpets, change air filters in univents and change belts if needed, grease bearings in all units including roof top exhaust fans and ventilators. 

• Once a month we are required by the Department of Labor and Standards (DLS) to do a thorough cleaning of all areas of the lower “B” and “C” wings to monitor for Asbestos.

Several comments were made regarding this particular topic – I’ve shared some of them below:

• “slapdash installations and deferred maintenance.”

• Most of this was preventative maintenance that will now cost triple – why should we trust anyone with the money?

• We haven’t hired new teachers, fire/rescue/police and haven’t maintained the building so where are those funds?

• Where’s the money gone – millions of taxpayers’ dollars.

• It is clear a new building was wanted so it was just let go. 

• If we can’t take care of this building, how will we afford to take care of a new one.

The District has spent the following on maintenance and repairs to our school buildings over the last five years: 

• Heating and ventilation = $56,376. 

• General building maintenance = $57,266. 

• Electrical repairs = $30,236. 

• Cleaning supplies = $60,960. 

• Grounds maintenance/supplies = $ 31,172. 

• Maintenance of ground equipment = $25,445. 

• Asbestos removal/containment and air quality testing $199,472. 

• Plumbing repairs = $14,254. 

• New Fire panel and quarterly testing = $164,933. 

• Sewer pump station maintenance and repairs = $66,725. 

• FY 2009 the septic system was removed and tied into the town sewer system with new pump stations installed, the cost of that project = 845,000. 

• Resurface tennis courts 2022 = $27,000.

2. What amount is the school given each year for maintenance (taxpayers) and where has it been spent? What are the actual, annual costs of upkeep? a. Has an audit ever been done for the projects and costs to make sure the money wasn’t mismanaged? b. Who oversees the maintenance and needs of the building?

• In August of 2021, the district hired a Director of Facilities. Prior to that year, each building had a Head Custodian who would oversee their respective buildings maintenance, cleaning and grounds. 

• Cost of maintenance at the high school for Fiscal Year 2021/22 alone included the following:

  •  Totaled $ 141,594 

  • HVAC = $16,588 dollars in maintenance and unexpected repairs 

  • Building maintenance = $16,193. 

  • Electrical repairs = $9,601. 

  • Cleaning = $13,334. 

  • in supplies Ground maintenance = $8,371 ( not including upgrades to baseball fields). 

  • Grounds equipment = $10,556 

  • Asbestos remediation / quality testing =$44,000. 

  • Plumbing repairs =$ 3,220. 

  • Fire panel testing and repairs =$9,720. 

  • Sewer pumps and tank cleaning =$ 10,011.

Every year the District has its budget, expenses, revenues and grants audited by a private certified audit firm. The audits are submitted to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and our financial institutions for review. 

3. Why hasn’t more been done? (Some people have the impression the school was never taken care of until it was too late.) a. How did it get to this point if things were maintained over the years and if we get a new school, how can the community be assured proper maintenance will be done to prevent the building falling into disrepair like this one? 

• In years past, in additional to all of the work/expenses that are outlined above, some of the larger projects that have been done to the school are as follows: 

  • In the late 90’s, the 10,000 gallon underground oil tank had to be removed and replaced. We had to remove the septic system that was located under the lower soccer field and tie it into the sewer system located at Early Village. 

  • The roof was replaced in 2015. 

  • Converted from oil fired burners to gas fired burners During the summer months of 2021 and 2022 we had to remove and/or repair areas of Asbestos to meet strict guidelines set in place by the Department of Labor and Standards. 

    • This being stated, we cannot make any improvements to the building without the full removal of all the sprayed on fireproofing above the entire first floor ceiling and replacing all of the ceiling tiles on the lower level (we are not allowed to open up the ceiling tiles to gain access to any pipes or wiring above the ceiling panels). In 2022, the Fire Department pulled down 6 ceiling tiles in three different classrooms which resulted in shutting down the entire lower “B” wing classrooms for one week, disrupting the learning environment for students while these rooms were decontaminated and air quality testing was performed to meet DLS standards. This resulted in $20,000 of unexpected repairs.

4. Why can’t we just repair the bricks, caulk the windows, put new stoves in Home Economics, as well as new counter tops, replace the tiles, the “bubbler”, paint the metal pipes and tighten up the heating and blowers, and clean the ceiling vents? (Someone referenced it seemed cosmetic and just dirty If this could be done we would start work immediately, but building codes and asbestos prevent us from doing these repairs. 

• That stated, it is not just repairing the bricks, it’s the supporting structure itself, the front steps will also need to be replaced as evident from the underside where you can see rust coming through. 

• The heating units cannot adequately control classroom temperatures due to parts no longer available and leaks in pneumatic air lines that run through the walls and contaminated low ceilings which contain Asbestos. 

• Some classrooms don't get the proper airflow due to outside air dampers that are no longer working and in some cases getting stuck open which have in some cases caused the heating coils to freeze. 

• Some of the bubblers contain levels of lead that do not meet state regulations and are turned off; several throughout the district have been replaced with water bottle filling stations which filter out the lead from grants that the district had received.

5. If this is how the high school is being taken care of, what is happening at the other primary schools? Will the same thing happen there? 

Every building has a maintenance plan in place, much like our own homes windows, roofs, doors sinks, heating systems and plumbing must be replaced. The life expectancy on most of these fixtures are 25-30 years. Unfortunately, due to all the Asbestos located throughout the High School these repairs were not able to be completed. The high school is 54 years old.

6. Have past boards applied for grants? What was the outcome? Has one ever been turned down? Has any been given to the school(s)? 

• We have received grants and continue to apply for them. 

• For example, we have received millions in grants for the following: 

  • New windows, doors and boiler system at JFK/AFM, new boilers at MES, new roofs for JFK/AFM, BMR and Millville Elementary, and as recently as this year a grant to replace the original Pressure Relief Valves on the boilers at BMR. Again, all of these projects have received grant funding to help cover the costs. 

  • Previous administrations have applied for grants for renovations and or new construction to be made at the high school and have been denied.

7. We have a shrinking student population – and we have a shrinking tax population to pay for this?

We have been accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) pipeline grant program. The last round of projects we have done through the MSBA program had project reimbursement rates of up to 57%. This will be a major offset to the cost of the project to our residents. However, to know what is truly needed, we must get a Feasibility Study completed.

8. What is the cost/benefit analysis including doing the minimum to make it more habitable? 

Due to the Asbestos in the sprayed on fireproofing,window glaze, floor tiles, doors and bonding agent for the floor tiles there is no minimum work that can be done without a complete abatement of all Asbestos containing materials. 

9. What happens if the feasibility study is not approved? 

If we cannot get a Feasibility Study approved by the two towns we will be removed from the MSBA pipeline and forfeit the grant program reimbursing the towns for the cost of the final project (the grant loss would be in the tens of millions of dollars.) The District will be left going to the towns, only, to cover 100% of the costs for all the work required to be completed. 

10. Will the building be demolished or used for something else if a new one is built? 

This question will best be answered after the Feasibility Study - that is the current focus of this project. One plan that was presented to MSBA included renovating the existing gymnasium, cafeteria and the auditorium. Once the new building is completed the older section would be taken down and new parking and athletic fields that meet ADA requirements would be built in its place. Again, at this point this plan is speculative as the Feasibility Study needs to be completed first to assess what is needed and our options, and then the towns can move from there. 

11. If a new school is to be built, how will it be paid for? What is the taxpayer’s impact for each town? How much a year and over what period? ● Comment made: We are in the 16 th percentile of the highest tax rates in MA – shrinking population – fewer taxpayers to fund the project long term. 

This is all determined by the Feasibility Study. Once the Feasibility Study is complete, the towns will have the necessary information (plans and estimates) to determine costs and the best next steps. 

12. Where would the new location be if a new school is approved? 

The plan would be to build off the backside of the existing building. However, the design phase comes after the Feasibility Study is complete. That needs to be done first. 

Has FINCOM recommended the feasibility study?

At this point, we have met with the FINCOM to discuss the submission of the application with MSBA (this was winter and spring of 2022) and will meet again to discuss the need for a Feasibility Study. These conversations are ongoing. It is also important to note that both towns had members of their BOS, FINCOM and Capital Planning Committees on the BMRSD Capital Planning Committee that led to the submission of the application to MSBA.

14. Where would kids go during a renovation or a new build? 

This is determined after the Feasibility Study (during the design and planning phase). One option, the students could continue to attend school in the existing facility while a new one is being constructed. Again, we would need to wait for the Feasibility Study to determine that. 

15. Where do we go from here? What are the steps and process?

• Here are the formal steps listed by MSBA along with their website where you can dig in on each: ● MSBA Modules Once Selected https://www.massschoolbuildings.org/building/modules_overview 

  • Eligibility - Hoping for a Feasibility Study vote late Fall/early winter ‘23 (current phase)

  • Project Team

  • Feasibility

  • Schematic Design

  •  Project Scope and Budget and Project Agreements

  • Design Development, Construction Documentation and Bidding

  • Construction 

  • Project Closeout 

The short version, the towns will vote for a Feasibility Study in Fall of ‘23. If it passes, the MSBA will commission a Feasibility Study team of architects and engineers. This team will give us and MSBA their recommendation(s) around the direction the district should go. Then architects will draw up plans for a new structure, including cost, only then will we get a more accurate cost and what will be the state reimbursement rate. The towns would then need to approve the project with a vote at a town meeting. This is a very slow and lengthy process. 

16. What happens if nothing is done? a. What happens if one town approves and the other does not? Both towns need to approve the Feasibility Study and the final project. If we cannot get a Feasibility Study approved by the two towns we will be removed from the MSBA pipeline and forfeit the grant program reimbursing the towns for the cost of the final project (the grant loss would be in the tens of millions of dollars.) 

• The District will be left going to the towns, only, to cover 100% of the costs for all the work required to be completed.

17. Could we end up with no high school?

We need to take action. If we cannot get a Feasibility Study approved by the two towns we will be removed from the MSBA pipeline and forfeit the grant program reimbursing the towns for the cost of the final project (the grant loss would be in the tens of millions of dollars.) The District will be left going to the towns, only, to cover 100% of the costs for all the work required to be completed. If the towns do not vote to appropriate the funds on their own, we will be in very challenging place and have some even bigger decisions to make.