Saugus alters high school bid

SAUGUS – Selectmen and the School Committee are updating the district?s statement of interest for a new high school to include the potential for losing accreditation as a priority for a new school.According to the Massachusetts School Building Authority?s Statement of Interest user guide, a school can submit for a new school under eight priorities, some of which include replacing a building that is structurally unsound, eliminating severe overcrowding, or preventing severe overcrowding.Saugus? statement of interest was amended Tuesday to prevent a loss of accreditation.?That?s good news,” said School Committee Chairman Wendy Reed. “The School Committee is doing that on Wednesday and we?ll get it off to (the MSBA) on Thursday, and they?ll amend our application.”One of the priorities calls for the replacement, renovation or modernization of school facility systems, such as roofs, windows, boilers, heating and ventilation systems, to increase energy conservation and decrease energy-related costs in a school facility. Another priority calls for the replacement of or addition to obsolete buildings in order to provide for a full range of programs consistent with state and approved local requirements.Superintendent Richard Langlois told the School Committee last month that the New England Association of Schools and Colleges put Saugus High on warning to lose accreditation for several issues with the high school, including failure to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards, a lack of adequate power for science labs, outdated and uncomfortable classroom furniture, outdated lighting and technology, and a lack of security and lighting in the parking lot.Langlois said at the time the school must submit a response to the NEASC in October and could potentially lose accreditation as soon as next spring if the issues aren?t corrected. Losing accreditation could affect grants, scholarship and college acceptance for students.Reed said adding the third priority should give a boost to the statement of interest.?We could only apply under two priorities and now there are three,” said Reed. “Accreditation holds a lot of weight, especially for the high school so it may bump us up a little bit on the list.”Reed said the School Committee should get a response from the MSBA sometime in the fall or early winter.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].