Saugus board talks science, not Santa, at meeting

SAUGUS – The recent Santa Claus controversy did not come up in Thursday night?s School Committee meeting, as Chairman Wendy Reed said the topic will be discussed at the next meeting in January.?We will not be taking up the policy on holidays and celebrations this evening,” said Reed. “It isn?t on the agenda and to be fair to everyone it will be placed on a future agenda where everyone can come.”In the meantime, Reed said the School Committee is conferring with legal counsel and the Massachusetts Association of School Committees.Just six people were in attendance Thursday.Superintendent Richard Langlois updated the School Committee on a Statement of Interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority for a grant to rebuild the high school?s nine science labs.The Board of Selectmen approved the SOI on Tuesday, and Langlois estimated the total cost of the project to be $1 million. Langlois said the he still has to work out the reimbursement from the MSBA, which could range from 53 percent to 100 percent, and expects to submit it by Jan. 10.?We?re very excited about the opportunity to go forward with this,” said Langlois. “(New England Association of Schools and Colleges) has deemed the science labs at the high school as unsafe and not appropriate for 21st Century learning. It?s a huge leap in that area.”If the application is approved, Langlois said the project could begin around September 2013.The School Committee also accepted several gifts Thursday. The Saugus Business Education Collaborative donated $21,000 to be divided amongst the seven schools in the district, while Bob?s Discount Furniture donated $1,000 to the high school and the Saugus Business Partnership donated $1,000 to go toward athletic transportation costs.In other business, School Committee member Arthur Grabowski said the Belmonte Building Committee sub-committee he serves on has narrowed down its search for a construction manager to three finalists. He said they will be conducting interviews and will make a recommendation on Jan. 9. The full Building Committee will meet on Jan. 17 to accept the recommendation.?It?s an important position,” said Grabowski. “That person will be representing us to make sure the project is done on time and on budget.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].