MARBLEHEAD — Voters will decide tomorrow whether to build a new, $25.5 million Glover School.
The Massachusetts State Building Authority has promised to reimburse 40 percent of the project, leaving the town to pay approximately $15.3 million.
For the average homeowner, approval of the override would increase taxes $109 per year for 20 years, according to the town.
Acting Superintendent Brian Salzer said a new school would give students a better learning environment.
"The new facility will be designed to support students with better lighting, better space, and will be designed to support students with special needs," he said.
A new Glover School would educate 425 students in kindergarten through third grade.
Last June, funding for a new Glover was on the ballot but failed by 71 votes. This time, the project would cost Marblehead taxpayers $2 million less than the previous project because of changes to the design, which Glover Principal Mary Devlin said were made while trying to maintain features directly related to education. For example, ceiling heights were reduced, pitched roofs were lowered and window designs were altered to reduce costs.
Devlin said the 1916 building has a number of fatal flaws necessitating a new structure.
"Basically, the systems are failing," Devlin said.
"On one side of the school, it will be 52 degrees in February. On the other side of the school, it's like Bermuda," she said.
Devlin said the school also suffers brownouts — if too many electrical devices are plugged in, sometimes outlets "pop." She said classrooms are too small, there is no cafeteria or performance space, and there is little if any access for disabled students.
"Just to get to the gym, there are four elevation changes — four different sets of steps," Devlin said. "When children are physically handicapped, they can't come to Glover."
To promote the override, the schools have handed out brochures and offered site tours.
Project faces opposition
Still, the project has its opponents.
"At this stage we are in with the economy, I don't think we should spend any more money than necessary," said Jean Eldridge, a member of the Marblehead Republican Town Committee. "I'm really worried about people who can't afford an increase in their taxes."
Jack Buba has raised concerns about the town's handling of an earlier Village School renovation, wondering what it would do with the money voters approve for Glover.
Town Meeting appropriated $21.8 million for the Village School project in 2008. The base construction contract, part of which the MSBA agreed to reimburse, came in at $11 million, but the schools spent an additional $5.4 million in so-called "change orders" — work not anticipated in the original contract.
The Town Meeting article said the money would be spent on "heating, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, building code accessibility, fire and life safety, replacement of ceilings, light fixtures, and other building systems." However, workers also refinished the gymnasium floor, made bathroom upgrades and put in new doors. Change orders also were used to better the school's entrance way, improve the boiler and provide additional asbestos abatement, according to town records.
The pricey changes raised eyebrows at the State Building Authority, which sent a letter to the town's project manager and designer on May 23.
"The MSBA is very concerned about the high number of change orders for the Village School project, which resulted in a 49.18 percent increase to the base contract construction cost from $11 million to $16.4 million," wrote Mary Pichetti, director of capital planning. She said the changes "dramatically increased the project budget and added to the project's scope."
The MSBA has said it will only consider $910,994 of the change orders for partial reimbursement.
Amy Drinker of the Village Building oversight committee defended the use of taxpayer money.
"When you are doing a repair project, you find things along the way that are more cost-effective to address at that time," she said. "(We) are always aware of original scope."
She said the project was to address "core system needs and repairs."
"The change orders for the most part were in regards to conditions that were discovered (during construction)," Drinker said. "The base bid and additional work was considered necessary for long-term viability and cost effectiveness of the building and was considered on those grounds."
For Buba, who led the opposition to last year's Glover proposal, long-term viability isn't the point. "The part they are missing — they don't get to make that decision."
Buba said that instead of spending money on change orders, the schools should have asked Town Meeting what to do with the savings.
"Until they can show that they can manage our money better, the answer is don't give them more money," Buba said.
Drinker said distractions about the Village School renovations should not take away from the pressing need for a new Glover School.
"I think people will be focusing on the fact that the state strongly endorsed the Glover project and if they weren't (supportive) they wouldn't have done that," Drinker said. "It's time to move forward on a project that has to be done."
Meanwhile, if voters do OK a new Glover School, Pichetti wrote, the school district "must submit its policy and procedure for change order review and approval to the MSBA before a (project funding agreement) can be executed."
Salzer, the acting superintendent, doesn't anticipate a lot of change orders on the Glover project, however, because the town would build a new school with specific plans, rather than renovating an old building — a process he said is less predictable.
If the override does not pass, Salzer said, "What will happen if and when Glover will be replaced, it will be completely at town expense. I don't believe the MSBA will commit to any future funding for it."
Sister Says She Reported Brother in Patz Killing
Patz Suspect's Sister: I Went to Police in 1980s
Diplomatic Expulsions Follow Fresh Syria Report
15 Dead in Northern Italy's 5.8-magnitude Quake
Angry Birds Spreading Their Wings
Witness Describes Fla. Face-chewing Attack
Man Falls Off Crane, Dies After Police Standoff
Russia Condemns Ally Syria Over Massacre of 108
Dairy Farm Uses Chiropractor to Help Cows
Unexpected Smog in Pristine National Parks
Air Canada Plane Makes Emergency Landing
New Ticks Spread Across Southeast, Diseases Rise
Bring Your Own Tech Programs Charge Up Students
Pope's Butler Vows to Help Vatican Investigation
Mother of Allegedly Abused Girl Denies Claims
Raw Video: 19 Dead in Qatar Shopping Mall Fire
Service Dogs Help Wash. Soldiers Battling PTSD
Raw Video: Heckler Bursts in on Blair Testimony
Japan Farmers Plant, Seek Radiation-free Rice
