By Ethan Forman
DANVERS — With the cost to renovate Danvers High pegged at $80.1 million, town officials are wondering how to finance the town's share of the bill. They have already ruled out an override for the $45.3 million local share.
Meetings with the project's architects, School Committee members, selectmen and others on Tuesday and yesterday revolved around ways to get the project's costs down. Officials have six weeks before they submit plans to the Massachusetts School Building Authority for final approval.
"No matter how you play it out, you have to fit the budget," said architect Kenneth DiNisco, the president and principal for DiNisco Design Partnership of Boston. "If you don't fit the budget, you don't have a project."
Officials are planning for a minimum state reimbursement rate of 49.11 percent, though they expect that number could increase by a few percentage points, lowering the cost to the town.
Selectman Keith Lucy said there is some concern the town is taking on too much debt, as it pays off Town Hall and Holten Richmond Middle School renovations, among other things. Debt should be about 4.5 percent of the budget, he said, which is approximately $85 million. That number could soar to 8 percent when the high school debt hits.
An override of Proposition 21รขÑ2 levy limits, however, is not an option.
"A plan for an override is a plan for failure," Lucy said.
Cutting $4.8 million worth of community spaces — costs not covered by the state — could save money.
Yesterday, the Danvers High School Design/Construction Advisory Committee focused on $2 million to renovate the Vye Gym, which is used for town recreation programs, and $1.6 million for a new school central office.
An analysis showed the 5,600-square-foot central office would cost $57,834 a year during the life of the loan, versus $117,600 a year to rent and heat office space somewhere else.
Superintendent Lisa Dana said the space would consolidate 30 to 35 staff members spread out through the high school now, including Dana, the business manager, the assistant superintendent, seven support staff, four curriculum directors, their two secretaries and five technology specialists. It would also include the student services office director, support staff and five psychologists, plus two staff members of the DanversCares coalition.
Dana favored the central office remaining at the high school but said she was open to other options.
"Can it be somewhere else? Yes. It just needs to be an effective place for our students," she said.
Recreation Director David Mountain said programs would be cut if the Vye Gym went away.
"It would really put an end to a lot of good things we do in town," Mountain said.
Staff writer Ethan Forman can be reached at 978-338-2673 or by e-mail at eforman@salemnews.com.
