Saugus school board to decide Evans fate

SAUGUS – The Saugus School Committee voted unanimously Thursday to conduct a walk through at the Evans School next month to see whether it wants to keep the school or turn it over to the town.The Evans School sits on the corner of Winter Street and Central Street and currently houses the Shining Stars Learning Center, a private day center which has been leasing the building since 2007.According to a new two-year lease, Shining Stars pays $1,800 per month to rent the building.School Committee Chairman Wendy Reed said she has a “sentimental attachment” to the school since her three sons went there when it was an elementary school, but said the school is in such poor condition she?d rather see it given to the town.?I just want to see a decision one way or the other,” said Reed. “I would prefer to relinquish it. I don?t think it?s worth salvaging.”According to Reed, the school sat vacant from 2003 to 2007 and suffered serious sewage backups and water leaks over the years, and has a mold problem and an aging heating and hot water system.Despite this, School Committee member Frederick Doucette said he wants the district to keep the building.?I don?t want to give up property,” said Doucette. “That?s our building. I think that the Ballard (Early Childhood Center) is the perfect example of why we don?t give up school buildings. As long as they?re being used for educational purposes, we can go back in there. The minute it?s not used for educational purposes, that?s when you have to bring it up to specifications and code and that?s ridiculous and prohibitive for us to do.”Cynthia Joyce, the Executive Director of Pupil and Personnel Services, said the Evans School could come into play in the future with a growing school-age population.?We?re seeing a huge increase in early childhood population,” said Joyce.Reed also brought up increasing class size, saying Saugus has a “real space need.”The School Committee will conduct the walk through with the town?s Building Committee on Jan. 8 at 8 a.m.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter @MattTempesta.