Nahant’s Johnson School seeks $72G

SWAMPSCOTT – Johnson Elementary School is looking to Town Meeting for an additional $72,000 to improve the parking lot, sidewalk and lighting around the school.Last year Town Meeting authorized $125,000 for improvements to the grounds of the school to complete the final phase of the Johnson Elementary School renovation project, which included completing the access road, the parking lot and install lighting.But Superintendent Joseph Lisi said the $125,000 wasn’t enough to complete the project and the school needs additional money to finish the project.”We ended up without lighting,” he said. “And we simply don’t have space to queue up cars picking up kids. Lisi said the parking lot does not have sufficient parking and on-street parking is prohibited for safety reasons so a portion of the money would be used to create an overflow parking lot just beyond the primary level playground at the school.”There is a small lot there that isn’t used for anything,” he said. “It could serve as overflow parking for the school and it would also provide parking for Little League during the summer.”Lisi said parents have asked to have the sidewalk, which is located at the side entrance to the school, extended all the way out to Castle Road so children riding their bicycles to school can utilize the sidewalks.The $125,000 approved for the school last year was funded through a debt exclusion article, which is not a Prop. 21/2 override. When a project is funded through a debt exclusion article it does not become a permanent part of the tax base like a general override does.Town Administrator Mark Cullinan said the town, not the schools, assumed the $125,000 debt from last year.”That did not come from the school budget,” he said. “The town is paying off that debt.”Cullinan said the town is not in a position to assume any new debt and he has already informed all departments of that.”The school will have to take this from the school budget,” he said. “Or it will have to get an override. The town can not assume more new debt.”The proposed article is expected to be on the warrant at the annual Town Meeting on April 25.