Saugus officials tour science labs

SAUGUS – Around 20 Saugus town officials took a tour of the high school?s aging science labs Thursday night.Science Director Frank Woods led the tour in preparation for Monday night?s Special Town Meeting, where a $250,000 feasibility study for nine science labs is coming up for a vote.According to Woods, the project will cost between $4 million and $6 million with the Massachusetts School Building Authority reimbursing the town for 53 percent of the costs.?We?re going forward with the MSBA plan and if that?s not the wish of Town Meeting ? then we will have to go back as a school department and pursue other paths,” said Woods. “Quite possibly we?d have figure out a way to fund them on our own at that point. Right now we have a possibility of some matching money.”Woods started the tour in the four labs in the east wing, which were built in 1954. Each lab has just three sinks and three gas valves for 20 students. Most of the gas valves have been removed and the gas was shut off due to leaking pipes, which run exposed along the walls of some of the rooms. The ceiling of one room is also caving in.?Luckily we haven?t had anybody decide they want to do pull ups on our gas lines,” said Woods, who noted some rooms were designated as science rooms simply because they had a sink.These rooms would be converted back to general classrooms, according to Woods.In the WD wing, the classrooms were built in the 1970s and are “more functional” according to Woods, however, they still lack space and basic safety equipment.?As you can see, it?s tight quarters,” said Woods.Some rooms also lack proper eye wash stations, safety showers and venting.Town Meeting members Al DiNardo and Peter Manoogian had concerns about the town being “locked into the building” if the labs are built, which would leave the town without any options if it decided to build a new school in the future.?Frankly, personally I?d rather see a brand new high school and see a plan started for a brand new high school and get it over with,” said Manoogian. “If it?s the will of the School Committee to say, ?We?re OK with Saugus High School? and keeping it that way and doing this piecemeal approach and Town Meeting hears that then that?s the way it is.”School Committee Chairman Wendy Reed said she?s waiting to hear from the MSBA on the required life span for the new labs.Woods also noted that the $250,000 feasibility study would be partially reimbursed by the MSBA.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].