To the editor:
“The building is too large.” “There are better sites.” “The cost is too high.” “The neighborhood will be unfairly impacted.”
These were concerns and fears expressed almost 20 years ago when the Swampscott High School project was brought before town voters.
Today, the high school and the Senior Center are accepted town-wide as a valuable community asset; the high school is an award winning learning environment for students.
Once again, the town faces the undeniable necessity of addressing physically deteriorating and educationally-obsolete school buildings. And, as we have learned, for a land-poor town like Swampscott, there is no easy answer or perfect solution.
That said, the current proposal for an elementary school on the Stanley site deserves open-minded consideration.
The plan is the product of a seven-year effort by the Elementary School Building Committee, which like its high school predecessor, is made up of appointed volunteers. The Building Committee has drawn on professional expertise in municipal finance, education, architecture, landscape engineering, building construction and trades, traffic and environmental impacts.
Together with community input, it has put forward a well-thought-out plan that has the long-term interest of the entire town and all its elementary children in mind.
There are hurdles ahead but they mirror those of 20 years ago. And the town now benefits from individual and institutional knowledge, which puts it in a strong position to bring the new elementary-school proposal to completion on time and on budget.
In addition, Swampscott residents’ appreciation of the high-school project should reinforce confidence that the elementary-school project can be a success story.
Good schools are essential to high-level educational programs which benefit all town residents.
However, the inescapable reality is that our elementary school buildings are crumbling. We cannot afford — in time or money — to again “kick the can” down the street with yet another committee over more years in hopes of a different approach. There is an urgency to act now.
Therefore, we former members of the Swampscott High School Building Committee — Dana Anderson, Kevin Breen, Vinny Camerlengo, Mary Dechillo, and Steve Fox — support the new elementary school at the Stanley site and ask that you do as well with your vote.
This letter was approved for publication by members who served from 2003-08 on the High School Building Committee.
Mary DeChillo
Swampscott
