Swampscott explores schools master plans

SWAMPSCOTT – Implementing one of the proposed master plans for the school district could cost up to $86 million.A recent report from the Master Plan Committee outlines five options for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, which Master Plan Committee Chairman Joe Crimmins explained are classified as neighborhood schools, grade level schools or consolidated schools.Crimmins said the Master Plan would be carried out in two phases starting with the elementary schools. He said the second phase, which calls for renovating the middle school, would not be implemented until years later.Crimmins said the projects would qualify for state reimbursement, which is guaranteed at a minimum of 40 percent of the project.”We’re anticipating receiving state funding for only one project at a time,” he said. “In order to secure state funding we may have to wait 10 years between projects.”The most expensive option, which is expected to cost $86 million, would keep Stanley, Clarke and Hadley open as neighborhood schools for pre-kindergarten through fourth grade and the middle school would house students in grades five through eight, along with central offices.Crimmins said under that model it would cost almost $15.5 million to renovate Hadley, another $25 million for Stanley and $12.5 million to renovate Clarke.That option also includes almost $33 million to renovate the existing middle school on Forest Avenue.The second possible neighborhood school configuration, which would cost approximately $78 million, would renovate Stanley and Clarke to house students from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade and renovate the middle school for grades five through eight and central offices.There are also two possible scenarios for grade level schools, which is where students are assigned based on grade level instead of geographic location. In the first option, Hadley School would close and students in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten would be assigned to the Clarke School, with students in grades one through four going to Stanley. The middle school would undergo extensive renovation during the second phase of the project. According to estimates provided by the committee, renovating Clarke, Stanley and the middle school is expected to cost $77 million.The other grade level option would close all the elementary schools with the exception of Stanley, which would house all students in town from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. All other students would attend the middle school. If the district goes with that configuration, it is expected to cost $41 million to renovate Stanley and another $33 million to renovate the middle school.The last of the five plans being looked at by the committee would utilize only the existing middle school and Stanley. Under the plan, all students in grades one through eight would attend one of those two schools. Crimmins said he expects it would cost $73.5 million to rehab Stanley and the middle school.”I think the biggest surprise to us as a committee is the $33 million cost to renovate the middle school,” Crimmins said. “When we’re done it would essentially be a new school but it is not something that needs to be done now. It could be done 10 years down the road.”Crimmins pointed out the estimated costs are what the projects would cost today, meaning costs due to inflation are not accounted for.”The actual costs are going to be higher,” he said. “A project that costs $86 million today is not going to cost $86 million next year or in 10 years.”Crimmins said the committee would be looking at operational costs for each option before it recommends how to proceed.