Design OK puts Beverly High on track for state funding

By Paul Leighton
Staff writer

April 03, 2008 06:03 am

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BEVERLY — A state agency approved the design for the high school construction project yesterday, a move that Mayor Bill Scanlon said guarantees the state will share the cost of the estimated $70 million plan.

Scanlon said the board of directors of the Massachusetts School Building Authority voted in favor of the design at its meeting yesterday morning. He said the city should find out next month how much the state will pay.

"This removes any doubt regarding the project being eligible for reimbursement," Scanlon said. "The detail of how much remains to be negotiated."

Scanlon told the City Council in February that the state could pay as much as 56 percent. Based on a $70 million figure, that would mean the state would pay $39.2 million, and the city's share would be $30.8 million.

The School Building Authority is the agency that will give out $2.5 billion over the next five years to help pay for school building projects. Spokeswoman Carrie Sullivan said Beverly is one of 11 projects that are "moving forward" after yesterday's vote by the board of directors.

"We've met with 102 districts so far, and these projects have stood out to us," Sullivan said.

State approval for a new high school comes at the same time the city is considering closing two elementary schools and laying off 61 employees to save money.

The City Council is expected to vote Monday on whether to authorize a special election for a Proposition 21/2 override. If approved, the override would raise an extra $2.5 million for the school budget.

Construction at the high school is scheduled to begin in June. The plan calls for a new four-story academic building to be constructed where the lower parking lot is now. Once that is completed, the three current academic wings will be demolished. The field house, cafeteria and auditorium will be renovated.

Scanlon said the School Building Authority directors liked Beverly's four-story building design because it's cheaper to build "up than out." It's also less expensive to heat a multistory building than a single-story building that is spread out, he said.

The high school project is expected to take almost two years. Students will still attend classes in the current school during construction. The scheduled completion date is February 2010.

Reporter Mike Stucka contributed to this story.