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Date: 11/21/2023
LONGMEADOW — The Longmeadow School Committee approved the request for capital project funding to be sent to Town Manager Lynn Simmons for consideration in the fiscal year 2025 budget. The projects total $1.16 million.
There are eight capital projects for priority consideration. Superintendent M. Martin O’Shea said the requests prioritized two safety issues.
Of the 230 cameras throughout Longmeadow Public Schools’s buildings, 100 must be replaced, along with the equipment to retain the footage. Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Thomas Mazza said the new equipment would allow for expansion capacity should more cameras need to be brought online. The expected cost of this project is $200,000.
The other safety concern is the public address system at Williams Middle School. The $25,000 update would involve installing speakers on the building’s exterior and in certain interior locations.
Among the technology projects listed is the replacement of town-wide networking equipment, which Mazza described as “vital.” Replacing the equipment on a cycle would be in keeping with best practices, he said. The cost would be $110,000.
New smart boards and projectors would cost $110,000. Mazza said this would be phase one of three requests that would update the equipment throughout the district, where needed.
There are also laptops and devices that need to be replaced in FY25. Mazza said 130 devices were purchased in 2017 and they are now at the end of their life. The cost associated with this is $50,000.
Longmeadow Facilities Director Nick Georgantas said the HVAC system at Wolf Swamp School needs upgrades. The system was last renovated approximately 20 years ago, and the conditioning chillers run on a coolant that has since been banned by the Environmental Protection Agency. The system is also leaking.
“We got lucky getting through this year,” he said. Mazza added that the $700,000 upgrade was on the capital projects list for last year but due to the volume of requests the town receives it did not make it onto the final list of capital projects.
Also on the list is the design and installation of a synthetic turf on the stadium field along with the replacement of the track and a renovated press box. The stadium field and track are in disrepair. the field is used extensively and has deteriorated. O’Shea said it was deemed unplayable for a recent game. The active recreation study recently completed by the town identified a turf field as a possible solution. Mazza said a turf field at Longmeadow High School would open availability to more community use. The school department did not determine a cost connected to this project.
While all the schools need painting, it is usually ineligible for capital projects funding, as it is considered an operational cost. Despite this, Mazza said the $100,000 needed is not in the operational budget. He added that “every wall space would need a coat.”
School Committee member Jamie Hensch said the capital projects budget is not the only source of funding for these projects. He commented that the HVAC system is a priority because without it, Wolf Swamp School would not be able to operate.
School Committee Chair Nicole Choiniere asked about the Center School windows and roof. The 2022 spring Town Meeting approved $290,000 in community preservation and $10,000 from the Historical Preservation Fund to replace the old, inefficient windows, which have deteriorated and become a safety issue at the school. The roof also needs replacing.
Georgantas said the roof qualifies for the accelerated repair program through the Massachusetts School Building Authority. O’Shea said he expected to discuss the accelerated repair application with Simmons soon. As for the windows, the information was not available at the time.
There are more than 25 other projects on the list that will be requested as part of the budget in future years.