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Date: 2/28/2024
AGAWAM — With an estimated cost of $230,245,404, the new Agawam high school will be the biggest capital improvements project in the town’s history, said Mayor Christopher Johnson.
That’s if voters approve it. Though the town has enough room under state law to raise taxes to pay for the project without needing a ballot vote, Johnson is asking the City Council to call a special election on June 11 to authorize the tax increase — or, if residents vote “no,” end a project that’s been on the School Department’s wish list for decades.
“This is of such significance that I believe the people should have the final decision,” he said.
Last year, a committee formed by William Sapelli — Johnson’s predecessor as mayor, and also a former school superintendent in town — brought in architects and project managers and entered the town in the Massachusetts School Building Authority process. With MSBA approval, the project would qualify for substantial reimbursements from state funds. The consultants and committee agreed to move forward with planning a high school that’s part new and part renovated. As explained at a November community forum, the plan is to repurpose the current school’s technical education wing into a pre-kindergarten building and preserve the brick entrance facing Mill Street, as well as the recently renovated stadium and baseball field. The rest will be replaced with a two-story building consisting of two wings with a courtyard between them.
The $230 million estimate covers all costs associated with the project, said Johnson. The town is still seeking approval from the MSBA, which may call for changes to the project that could increase or decrease its cost. Johnson said he expects around $100 million in state reimbursement money, leaving the town responsible for $130 million. The reimbursement would reduce the amount to be paid by taxpayers.
Construction could begin in 2025 and end in 2028, Johnson said. The construction plan calls for the new portions to be built in such a way that school can continue to operate during construction without the need to purchase modular classrooms, he said.
The core of the current school building at 760 Cooper St., Agawam, has been open since 1955. Wings were added or major renovations completed in 1961, 1979, 1995, 2001 and 2016. School officials say the high school no longer suits contemporary education styles, does not comply with modern building codes and is in danger of losing its accreditation because of outdated science labs. The town’s current pre-kindergarten center in Perry Lane Park is also considered too cramped and too old, and school officials have been trying to find a way to replace it for years.
The election
Debt exclusions allow cities and towns to temporarily increase the property tax levy limit beyond the 2.5% per year set by the state law known as Proposition 2½. Johnson said Agawam’s levy capacity, the difference between the tax levy it uses and the maximum levy allowed, is enough that the town doesn’t need a debt exclusion to raise the taxes required by the school project. However, taking on that much debt without raising the levy limit would reduce the town’s financial flexibility in the future, he said.
The debt exclusion would raise taxes for 30 years, the proposed length of the bond.
“This is a significant project,” Johnson said. “Municipal finance laws allow it to be financed up to a 30-year bond, and that’s what I’m proposing at this point, because of the size of the borrowing.”
The June 11 date was chosen because the MSBA board is meeting later that month. Town officials hope to be able to tell the board that Agawam’s project is funded and approved by voters, so the board can vote to move it to the next stage of the process.
The date is late enough that Johnson can reach out to the community and build support for the project. On Feb. 16 at the Agawam Public Library, he gave a presentation on the project to both the City Council and Agawam residents. Johnson is planning to schedule more talks in the next few months.
“My goal is to try to have everyone be able to make an educated decision,” he said.
Town Clerk Vincent Gioscia said that, between ballots and personnel, the election would cost around $10,000. Johnson said the town will see how much is left in its budget after the presidential primary on March 5. If needed to pay election workers, the clerk can use money from the town’s reserve funds, which would require City Council approval.
Council first
Before the election can take place, the City Council has to approve two resolutions being requested by Johnson: one to appropriate the cost of the project, and one to set up the election and place a question on its ballot. Johnson expects them to vote at their March 6 meeting. He said he has not heard any opposition from councilors, who agree with him that voters should have the final say.
City Council meetings take place at 7 p.m. at the Agawam Senior Center, 954 Main St., Agawam.
If the City Council votes down the resolutions, or the voters vote down the debt exclusion, Agawam would have to start over when the next round of MSBA funds become available, Johnson said. He added that this project is the culmination of a process that began with an application submitted 12 years ago.
“The project would stop and it would be a considerable amount of time before we would be able to get back to where we are today,” he said.
At the City Council’s Feb. 20 meeting, resident Guy Qvistgaard voiced his support for the resolutions. He said the cost of maintaining and bringing the building up to code would be more than building anew, which School Superintendent Sheila Hoffman said at the November community forum.
“I’m sure many have heard the phrase, ‘You can pay me now or you can pay me later,’” Qvistgaard said. “The time has come for all of us to pay now.”