MSTF recommends statement of interest for regional middle school

Date: 2/12/2015

WILBRAHAM – The Middle School Task Force (MSTF) at its Feb. 5 meeting voted to recommend that the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee submit a statement of interest (SOI) with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) for a regional middle school.

State reimbursements through the MSBA for renovation or construction for a regional middle school is a main reason why the MSTF is interested in submitting an SOI, Superintendent of Schools M. Martin O’Shea said.

 Several members of the task force noted that the committee has yet to decide whether a regional middle school reconstruction or renovation project would take place or where the location of that potential project might be.

“The MSBA program is a competitive grant program,” O’Shea said. “You have to apply for funds. It’s not an entitlement grant. You have to make your case. You have to demonstrate need in a school.”

Last year, a total of 15 out of 108 applicants were accepted into the MSBA core program process, he added.

Minnechaug Regional High School essentially took a decade to complete beginning with the early stages of the project, O’Shea said. The former Minnechaug building also received the worst rating for a school building by the MSBA.

“If we go into it flopping around and we don’t have a well defined vision, it’s going to be harder to convince the MSBA,” he added. “If our vision is well defined and we have our ducks in a row programmatically, we’ll be in a better position with the MSBA to have a successful application.”

 O’Shea also presented a rough time line of a typical MSBA project based on information from its website.

The first stage of a potential timeline would be to submit an SOI to the MSBA for a regional middle school project. Once the MSBA accepts an application, there would be a 270-day requirement to secure Town Meeting authorization and complete a feasibility study and a schematic design.

O’Shea has previously stated that the district could begin some sort of process for a regional middle school beginning in the fall of 2016. No changes would take place during the 2015-2016 school year.

Hampden and Wilbraham would also need to approve changes to the regional agreement before any project would move forward, which would likely take place during Special Town Meetings this fall. 

“There’s some very hard and fast timelines that no one can speed up, frankly,” he added. “Beyond that, according to an MSBA official we spoke to, it would take about a year to put together the project. You have to select a designer. You have to select an [operational project manager]. You have to go out to bid. That's a fairly lengthy period. All of that has to be reviewed and approved.” 

O’Shea said a two-year period would likely consist of defining the scope, budget and schedule for the project.

Assuming every step along the way is successful, one could anticipate walking into a new  building sometime between 2021 and 2023, he added.

Marc Ducey, chair of the Middle School Task Force and School Committee, said the task force needs to develop a short-term feasibility solution for a regional middle school middle as well.

“The budget, as it’s constructed now, can't support the current structure for seven more years unless there’s a significant influx of revenue,” he added. “It’s unsustainable and so that’s where you try to lead the education but the reality is that there is a cost factor with this. You can't ignore that side of this.”

Ducey also noted that regionalizing the district’s elementary schools is “not on the table.”

Hampden Board of Selectmen Chair and MSTF member John Flynn suggested that the committee and district also come up with a “Plan B” if a change to the regional agreement fails.

“You have two separate votes,” he added. “There’s no guarantee Wilbraham would agree to an amendment to the regional agreement.”

O’Shea said even if the district’s budget maintained existing services he would still be thinking “we could better.”

He noted, “It’s really about educational offerings.”

The MSTF’s next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 26 and will focus on short-term feasibility for a regional middle school model. Previously it was reported, that the meeting would be scheduled for Feb. 12, however the MSTF decided to reschedule for later in the month.