Marblehead Village School ‘shovel ready’

MARBLEHEAD – School officials have added the Marblehead Village School renovation project to a state-wide list of so-called “shovel-ready” projects to make it eligible for President-elect Barack Obama’s stimulus package.Obama’s proposal would increase infrastructure spending, such as highways, bridges and schools, and it would be the largest spending program in half a century, theoretically creating jobs, putting more money into the economy, and improving a crumbling infrastructure.”Shovel-ready means within 180 days,” said Superintendent of Schools Paul Dulac. Also added to the list, however, are projects proposed for the Glover, Eveleth, Gerry and Coffin schools. Those projects have moved – at least temporarily – to the backburner because the Massachusetts School Building Authority has approved funding for the Village School project.Contractors inspected the Marblehead Village School last Wednesday, getting ready to bid on a $21.7 million boiler replacement and renovation project that is scheduled to begin within a month.School Committee Chairman Amy Drinker has consistently stated that the Village project is already paid for through a debt-exclusion override and state aid funded through the sales tax.Dulac and School Committee members point out that stimulus package money could be used to defray the town’s portion of repair projects, like an engineering study for the Gerry School roof and exterior project.Meanwhile, Grade 6 students have been moved from the Village School to portable classrooms at the Marblehead Veterans Middle School. Dulac has expressed appreciation for a successful move. The move effectively half-closed the Village School and allows work to be done there.