Marblehead awaiting approval of school funds

MARBLEHEAD-The next landmark in the Marblehead Village School repair project is May 21.That?s the date the Massachusetts School Building Authority board is scheduled to vote to approve the $21.7 million school project for funding in Fiscal 2008.After a series of meetings arranged by State Rep. Lori Ehrlich, D-Marblehead, the MSBA allowed the town to substitute the Village School repairs as its priority school project.That doesn?t mean that the town?s plans for a new elementary school are forgotten. The feasibility phase of the Glover-Eveleth elementary school project will continue and “the MSBA considers the Glover-Eveleth project to be the priority project for next fiscal year (Fiscal 2010),” according to a letter from Katherine Craven, MSBA executive director, dated Friday.Craven said that as with any other school project, the agency and town must agree on the project scope, schedule and budget to make the project eligible for funding.However, School Committee Chairman Amy Drinker said, “The state is interested in keeping us on an accelerated timeline.”The letter notes that the state reserves the right to approve “all or some portion” of the project for funding.Drinker said she told Craven that Marblehead cut parts of the project to keep costs down to $19.6 million, like replacing vinyl flooring that was likely to be damaged during the repairs.?She encouraged us to look at what should be in, because it?s all repairs,” Drinker said.?We?re confident that the full amount will be approved but we did state the tax impact of the project at $100 a year on the median tax bill, plus or minus $5.”Drinker was uncertain how many other communities have had two projects approved by the MSBA so far, but noted that Craven called one project a repair and the other one construction.?They don?t want two construction projects in a community at the same time,” she said.Repairing the Village School first will give the town the extra elementary space needed to accommodate work at the Glover-Eveleth schools and eventually Gerry-Coffin.The Marblehead Village School houses Grades 4, 5 and 6 in a one-story main building and a three-story addition.Planning and set-up will take place this summer. The present schedule for the repair work begins next February, when Grade 6 will move to the Marblehead Veterans Middle School. Grades 4 and 5 will be housed in the three-story section of the building while construction begins in the one-story section.During the summer of 2009 construction will continue in the three-story section of the building. Grades 4 and 5 are expected to return to class in the one-story part of the building in the fall of 2009. Grade 6 can remain at the Veterans School that fall if the three-story section is ongoing. The final work is expected to be done during the summer of 2010.?Everyone was very relieved when the state aid came through,” Drinker said. “This was a hard project to love but sometimes you have to do the right thing.”