Cahill and Craven present $47 mil check to HWRSD
Date: 4/5/2010
April 5, 2010By Courtney Llewellyn
Reminder Assistant Editor
WILBRAHAM -- A crowd made up of administrators, teachers, students and local officials was on its feet last Monday as State Treasurer Tim Cahill ceremoniously signed a check for $47,406,405 -- the total the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) is awarding the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District for the construction of a new Minnechaug Regional High School.
Cahill, who serves as the chair of the MSBA, told those in attendance that he felt gratitude toward the town and school for the work they've done to move the project forward.
"The current students played a vital role in this," Cahill commented. He told them, "This is all for you."
On hand for the check presentation ceremony were State Reps. Brian Ashe and Angelo Puppolo, State Sen. Gale Candaras, Hampden selectmen Rick Green and Vinny Villamaino, Wilbraham selectman David Barry, Regional School Committee members Peter Salerno, Scott Chapman and D. John McCarthy, School Building Committee members John Lovejoy, Brian Garbecki and Dr. Paul Gagliarducci and Katherine Craven, MSBA Executive Director.
Superintendent M. Martin O'Shea kicked off the ceremony by welcoming all those in attendance and giving a brief history of the project, which was initiated nearly a decade ago. He described the ceremony as "a great display of Falcon pride."
Salerno, chair of the School Committee, said the word that summed up his feelings was "grateful."
"I'm grateful for the hard work of our students, and grateful we can allow them to have best educational facilities we can afford," he stated.
Ashe said he felt a new school was "definitely deserved," and Puppolo added, "This is a great day but for generations to come this is just the beginning. It's a great opportunity."
Candaras, who described herself a former "Minnechaug mom," noted that the MSBA's contribution to the project demonstrates the state's dedication to community. She also expressed her gratitude to the taxpayers in the school district for their "dedication to educational excellence."
Minnechaug principal Stephen Hale gave thanks from current and future students to Cahill and Craven for the steps they have taken toward a new Minnechaug.
"We need to make sure their educational experience is stronger than the steel and mortar going up this summer," Hale said of future students.
Craven noted that the MSBA has already paid $11 million to the district for projects but that helping to fund the new Minnechaug is "a crowning achievement."
"This is about cooperation, persistence and gratitude," she said. Craven added that by deciding to proceed with a model school, the district cut at least a year and $30 million off the project.
The new high school is being built as part of the MSBA's Model School Program.
"The Model School Program not only saves local and state taxpayers millions of dollars, but also provides safe and sustainable educational facilities for the students and teachers of the Commonwealth," Cahill stated in a release from the MSBA. "The construction of Minnechaug Regional High School will not only save time and money and provide a modern learning environment, but it will also create jobs in a sector of the economy hard hit by this recession."
Model schools effectively adapt and reuse the design of successful, recently constructed high schools; simplifying the design process, reducing the amount of time projects are in the design phase and lowering design fees. Using elements of a previously designed model school allows projects to begin construction faster and reduces construction costs for the project.
The new Minnechaug is being modeled after Ashland High School.
O'Shea said he expects the new high school to be ready for students by autumn 2012.
