Saugus super: Current high school takes precedence

SAUGUS – Saugus Superintendent Richard Langlois said it would be “realistic” to see a four- to five-year wait just to be considered by the Massachusetts School Building Authority for a new high school.Speaking to the School Committee Thursday night, Langlois noted that submission dates for statements of interest for new buildings won’t be until next fall and are likely to see more than 500 applicants.Langlois also said he received a letter from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges stating they were concerned about Monday’s Town Meeting vote.Town Meeting voted to refer an article for a science lab feasibility at the high school back to the School Committee so it can discuss building a new high school altogether.”At this point it’s more urgent to mitigate these problems and it was dismissed,” said Langlois, who noted that not updating the labs could compromise the school’s position with NEASC. “There’s a multitude of issues and it doesn’t keep pace with our curriculum maps. That will be as it is and as it’s always been until such a time when we get a new building. You’re talking five to eight years to mitigate the problem.”School Committee Chairman Wendy Reed said she wants to “revisit” a 1998 master plan that the School Committee and the MSBA came up with for all of the district’s buildings.That plan was revised and put up for a debt exclusion vote in 2002, but did not pass at the polls.”We should take what we have and start from there,” said Reed. “I think once we move along having joint meetings with the town and the schools ? it will really bring that vision together.”Science Director Frank Woods said the plan for the science department going forward is to “stay with the status quo” with the existing science labs.”It’s not so much the curriculum that’s falling behind, it’s the facilities that are falling behind,” said Woods.Woods said his charge is to make sure the kids get a quality education in a safe manner while plans are discussed for a new school.Town Manager Scott Crabtree said it doesn’t make financial sense to keep putting “Band-Aids” on aging buildings and noted residents need to have a say in future plans.”I think elected officials need to stop talking the public into what they don’t want and let them decide what they do want,” said Crabtree. “People are leaving the community and it’s because of the facilities that aren’t upgraded. Let the public decide what they want to pay for.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].