Sparse crowd gets welcome news at Swampscott forum

SWAMPSCOTT – School Building Committee members announced Tuesday night to the small crowd at an open forum to discuss the proposed new elementary school that the state agreed to reimburse the town 45.3 percent of the cost of the feasibility study to be voted on at Town Meeting.The feasibility study will determine specifics of the proposed school, which will replace the Hadley and Stanley schools to become the only elementary school in Swampscott, with the Clark School becoming a facility for lower grade levels and administrative offices, according to Chairman Joe Crimmins, who put the cost of the study at $300,000 to $500,000.Crimmins said if the study isn?t given the go-ahead by a two-thirds majority on October 15, it could take 10 to 15 years for the Massachusetts School Building Association to approve Swampscott for reimbursement of a new school – and the clock is ticking for Hadley.?Nothing in the town is going to get better or healthier and we?re in a situation were someone is willing to pay half,” said Crimmins.School Committee Chairman Larry Beaupre said Hadley was deemed “not capable of renovation” by an independent contractor because the school cannot support computers and projectors needed in 21st century education, plus no access for students with disabilities. “The reason why we are in this program is we have a building that needs to be upgraded,” said Beaupre. “If we are successful in building a consolidated school, there are savings in terms of new energy systems. This is an investment and should pay dividends in the long run.”The forum in the nearly empty high school auditorium made the attendance of only 20 of the approximately 300 Town Meeting members seem sparse. Committee Co-Chairman Glenn Paster said the attendance disappointed him after the Communications Subcommittee called every member and e-mailed about half of them.Town Meeting member Tom Rogers said, “I hate to see [Hadley] close, but necessity stares you in the face. We can?t afford to fall out and then get in line for 10 to 15 years.”Member Judy Bevis said she spoke for other members who couldn?t make the forum when she said many were worried about losing the neighborhood schools. Superintendent Lynne Celli said the schools haven?t been “neighborhood schools” for years since the district has worked to keep siblings in the same schools while keeping class sizes small.Town Meeting member Wayne Spritz said “people are going to want to see the numbers” of what a new elementary school would cost versus renovating the schools, but Crimmins said there were no solid numbers yet to give.Town Administrator Thomas Younger said if the town votes for the feasibility study and then decides not to go through with the school, the town would only be out the percentage that was not reimbursed, about $245,000.Planning Board Chairman Patrick Jones said if the town doesn?t go for the study at all “we would have spent $245,000 in wasteful Band-Aids over and over in 15 years.”Kait Taylor can be reached at [email protected].