PEABODY — The City Council has voted to approve the request of the School Committee to file a Statement of Interest (SOI) with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) for funding to build a new high school.
“I think all of you know the importance of this project and the real hope that we can partner with [MSBA] and begin this process,” Peabody Mayor and School Committee Chairman Edward A. Bettencourt, Jr. told the City Council Finance Subcommittee Thursday. “I have reason for optimism. But I’ve been optimistic in the past and we haven’t been invited in yet. But I do have optimism here with this submittal.”
Bettencourt said MSBA offers two programs. The core program funds major renovation projects and new construction, while the accelerated repair program is for roof, window, and boiler repairs and replacements. Due an escalation in costs, MSBA has temporarily put a hold on the accelerated repair program.
“That makes things very difficult for cities and towns,” Bettencourt said, noting that the district has had success in the past with that program, particularly in the elementary schools. One example is the Welch School project, which Bettencourt said is “winding down” and should be completed by the end of the year.
“I’ve learned that they’re very reluctant to partner on multiple core program projects, but I do believe we are getting to the point where our time is coming,” said Bettencourt.
Ward 5 Councilor David Gamache thanked the mayor for explaining the process and described the situation the city is in as “unfortunate.”
The high school’s deteriorating condition is well documented. In his motion to approve, Gamache recited a list of problems plaguing the building, which was built in 1970, that were identified in a 2020 New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) report.
The deficiencies include roof leaks (the roof was partially replaced in 2018), inadequate electrical and HVAC systems that result in some rooms not having heat and some rooms overheating, questionable water and air quality, and substandard bathrooms, some of which are not handicap accessible and lack running water. Additionally, the electrical system is plagued by thrown circuit breakers. Other substandard conditions include rodent infestations, module classrooms that lack running water or bathrooms, and a lack of storage space.
School Committee member Beverley Griffin Dunne said the school’s NEASC accreditation continues to be under “warning status” due to the building’s age and poor condition.
“This is the second time that we’ve noted ‘Priority 3’ because of the fact that we are on warning status from NEASC and the warning status pertains only to the physical building — not to the programs or the education being provided,” Dunne said. “They recognize that the building is inadequate and that it just isn’t able to provide what the students really need for current times.”
In response to a question from committee Chairman Peter McGinn about how many times the high school has applied for funding, Dunne said, “I’m starting to lose track,” adding she thought this application would be the sixth.
“[Superintendent] Dr. [Josh] Vadala and I have been working on this every single week since January,” Dunne said. “We’ve been going line by line putting in more and more information to make it a more powerful application. One of the things that happens is the deficiencies of the building may actually help add to the information that goes into that report because so many systems continue to break down. Hopefully, MSBA will agree that we do need a new building.”
Bettencourt thanked the subcommittee for a unanimous vote, saying “it’s important that it’s unanimous so we have such strong support for this application,” adding he expects to hear a decision from MSBA sometime in November or December. If the application is successful, the School Committee will return to the council with a funding request for the project.
