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Amid discussion of budgets, essential services and a possible override, the Winchester School Committee must also decide when is the best time to ask for a little bit more.
The Muraco School project is fully in the jetstream of the Massachusetts School Building Authority funding program, but Superintendent Dr. Frank Hackett said one of the critical points to kick off the process is funding the feasibility study.
The MSBA works with communities to build “affordable, sustainable and energy efficient schools” across the commonwealth. Part of that includes financial reimbursement for new school, additions and or renovations.
The Muraco School project has been accepted into the eligibility round, which officials starts in March. Hackett said once the eligibility window opens the district has 270 days to secure funding for a feasibility study.
“There are really only two logical times, as you know, that we could do that,” he told the School Committee during its Jan. 22 meeting. “One is at Spring Town Meeting, and one is at Fall Town Meeting and I could make a case for either one.”
What are the odds?
Hackett said he could think of 103 reasons why it might not be a good idea to ask for funding at the Spring Town Meeting, including budget discussions and a Proposition 2 ½ override question that will ask taxpayers to fund $4+ million for the School Department’s operational budget.
But, Hackett pointed out, if the feasibility funding was approved in the spring, it would put the town six months ahead of schedule with the MSBA, which could prove significant. Hackett said there are other deadlines for things like enrollment projection and an education plan that needs to be completed within the 270-day window and a spring approval would buy them the summer in which to get it all done.
Also since the Fall Town Meeting is in November, Hackett is concerned that if a vote is taken that late in the year, the district wouldn’t be able to meet a deadline to get onto the MSBA’s December meeting. The MSBA only meets every three to four months and missing the December deadline could set the project back.
Also, if the district secures funding earlier rather than later, it could move up the timeline for the project, Hackett said.
“I think it’s important for you to start thinking about this … I honestly, I don’t know what the right thing to do is, because of everything else that is going on,” he said.
The project
The district is looking at a projected 2031 opening for a new Muraco School — or a newish Muraco. Hackett said he believes after several conversations with people, including some at the MSBA, the expectation is the district would look very hard at a renovation/addition project to right size the school rather than build a new school.
Hackett was quick to add that when he says addition, he means building a cafeteria designed to be an actual cafeteria. It may also be there is another addition and that classrooms are refurbished, he said.
“Because in terms of meeting the educational specifications from the MSBA, we have a lot of spaces that are really not designed for what they’re being used for right now,” Hackett said.
He also noted he wasn’t making a recommendation, he just wanted the committee to consider the possibilities.
Committee member Tom Hopcroft said he thought going for the Spring Town Meeting was the way to go because if things went wrong, they would still have the Fall Town Meeting to right them.
“There’s even the cost escalation that can occur by delaying the project,” he said.
Committee members Michelle Bergstrom and Tim Matthews agreed that aiming for the Spring Town Meeting was a good idea.
“The Muraco community has been looking to move forward with this project for quite some time and we’ve been committed to it for quite some time,” Bergstrom said.
She also said it might take some time to educate the public on the need, so getting started sooner rather than later was a good idea.
Committee member Stefanie Mnayarji was also ready to commit to bringing the funding question to the Spring Town Meeting, but she had one question: “How much does a feasibility study cost?”
Hackett said MSBA guidelines show a range of $800,000 to $1.2 million. However, if the project is successful, some of that would be reimbursed, he said.
The Muraco also represents the last of the district’s schools to be updated, which Hopcroft said, for a town that values education, having modernized all the schools should be a point of pride. Hackett agreed.
“There aren’t many school systems in the state that can say they’ve done the level of work on their schools that we have, that Winchester has,” he said. “There is a lot to be proud of there.”
Hackett said they will figure out next steps and take a closer look at the timeline with all parties involved.
Chris Stevens is an award-winning journalist who has spent 25 years chasing, editing and photographing stories on the North Shore. She is the co-founder and managing editor of Gotta Know Medford.
