6:00
PM Executive Session for a Parent Appeal - Rescheduled
6:30
PM Special Worksession
Central
Administration Building
Minutes
The
meeting was called to order at
I. Pledge of Allegiance
II. Roll Call
Present: Vice
Chairperson Dr. Denise Coppa; Barry Martasian,
Kevin Mulvey, and Pat Watkins
Absent: Chairperson
Administration Present:
James M. Halley, Ed.D,
Superintendent of Schools; Joseph F. Quinn,
Jr., Director of
Administrative Services; Maureen Buck, Controller
III.
School Modernization Implementation
·
Dr.
Halley summarized the feasibility study submitted by RGB Architects as an
approximate expenditure of $45 million in additions/renovations to modernize
five school facilities. There would be a
$13.6 million cost to bring buildings to minimum standards but that would not
bring
·Dr.
Halley recommended that the
·
·
Pat
Watkins asked that if once the
·Dr.
Halley responded that it could be possible.
·
·
Barry
Martasian asked about the timeline of this project.
·Dr.
Halley outlined the necessary steps that need to be taken:
· 1. The
· 2.
· 3. The
Board of Regents holds a hearing on the request between January and March,
2004. This would also give state
approval for a 30% reimbursement of the total project.
· 4. Spring
of 2004 the Town Council and the legislature approves a ballot to go to the
voters. Decision is made on when vote is
to be held – a special vote, or included in the general election in November,
2004.
· 5. Planning
is finalized in regard to specific construction and timing of projects, and the
project goes out to bid.
·
·
Pat
Watkins asked if we would be increasing classroom space in all five schools and
if this would make a difference to the Board of Regents.
·Dr.
Halley stated that we are not adding classroom space at Wickford Elementary, but
we are not making the request based on the number of students that we
have. We are basing the request on the
programmatic needs of the schools, bringing them up to standards, and
increasing the core facilities.
·
·
Barry
Martasian asked if we should ask for more money based on inflation.
·Dr.
Halley responded that the $45 million takes into account the inflation factor.
·
·
Barry
Martasian felt the
·Denise
Coppa reminded the Committee that the state stature could change which will
effect receiving the 30% reimbursement if we don’t act this year.
·Joe
Quinn stated that the state usually would grandfather in the projects that were
already approved, but nothing is guaranteed.
·
·
Kevin
Mulvey asked what the goal was of the joint meeting with the Town Council on
October 20, and what they would be looking for.
·Dr.
Halley said that the Town Council is looking for a recommendation from the
·
·
Kevin
Mulvey stated that RGB based their report on 19 students per class and asked if
that had any impact on the report if that is not the case in every classroom.
·Dr.
Halley replied that the use of 19 students per class works to our
advantage. It gives us more programmatic
flexibility. For example, the high
school was build so that every teacher had a classroom with approximately 22
students. That allowed a 40% capacity to
be built in.
·Joe
Quinn said that RGB used the range of 19 – 25 students in their planning.
·There
was discussion on actual use of the $45 million to the district’s best
advantage. There are many possibilities
to consider, including using the plan as it is submitted or the possibility of
building a new elementary or middle school.
There will be a year to discuss and decide on the best use of the bond
if it is approved.
·
·
·Denise
Coppa disagreed. She said if we wait,
the price goes up, the schools fall into more disrepair, and we need to
consider the district as a whole. We
need to make all schools equitable. All
students should have the same facility available to them. At this time, Davisville Elementary can’t
even accommodate their own fourth and fifth graders, and some schools don’t
have a gym. She believes there is a
health hazard when some schools can’t locate their septic systems.
·
·
·
·
Barry
Martasian disagreed about not going forward this year. He stated that this process will take at
least three years and we need to consider the future. If we delay, we are not doing justice to the
parents and students of
·
·
·Denise
Coppa stated that there has always been long term discussion about having full
day kindergarten.
·Kevin
Mulvey agreed that there hasn’t been a special meeting to discuss full day
kindergarten but that can be talked about before the budget process. But he felt each
·
·
·Dr.
Halley said it is in writing in the RGB report.
The RGB report is what he is recommending.
·
·Pat Watkins made a motion
to move to support the Superintendent’s recommendation to go forward to the Town
Council with a request for $45 million bond issue and to continue to discuss
the exact application of the bond.
·Motion was seconded by
Barry Martasian.
·
·Audience comments:
·
·
Anne
Mack addressed the Committee to say that there were twenty people on the Modernization
Committee that discussed this issue in length and they all wanted students to
have equity in their education. She said
the Committee has a duty to ensure that every child has the same opportunity. There are schools in town that do not have the
same opportunities. One school is not
even handicap accessible. That is more
than a safety issue, that is a civil right.
She hopes the
·
Drew
Esposito, a school newspaper reporter for
when the earliest date for construction
could begin.
Dr.
Halley responded that if all went well, the spring of 2005 would be the very
earliest possible construction date.
Drew
said he agreed with the RGB report to make WMS a better school and he told the
·
Kathy
Brown feels that we don’t necessarily have to make every school
equal. She feels that every school doesn’t need a
gym, and that the district doesn’t
need everything that is in the
RGB report. She agrees that we need to
prioritize.
Vote on Motion:
To support the Superintendent’s
recommendation to go forward to the Town
Council with a request for
$45 million bond issue and to continue to discuss the exact application of the
bond.
Approved 4 to 1 with
Miscellaneous
Comments
·
Joe
Quinn stated that there have been two subcommittees working on modernization
implementation, the Modernization Committee and the K-5 Advisory Committee,
which has given us a wide cross section of the community.
He
asked the Committee to keep in mind that we are not talking about spending all
of this money immediately. For example,
we could program work for every other year for three cycles.
Information
could also be obtained from the town to show when the current debt would be
reduced to a point where the school projects would only be a replacement, so as
to have a minimal impact on taxpayers.
Mr.
Quinn also pointed out that the timeline cycle needs to be adhered to in order
to have anything approved this year.
·
Dr.
Halley suggested that RGB architects attend the meeting with the Town
Council. This will allow the experts to
defend the report and answer technical questions.
He
suggested using school equity as well as educational benefits as a good
rationale in proposing this modernization project. We are now not doing complete justice to our
students in the present facilities and the buildings need to be aligned with
one another. He feels once the Town
Council approves, the RGB report is a good justification to get approval from
the Board of Regents.
Pat Watkins made
a motion to adjourn. Seconded by
Motion passed
5/0.
Meeting
adjourned at
Respectfully
submitted,
Karen
A. Nutini
Administrative
Assistant to the Superintendent