HAMPDEN — At the Dec. 8 meeting, the Hampden Selectboard voted to support the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District Committee’s decision to withdraw from it’s current Massachusetts School Building Authority project.
The vote comes with a clause that requires the School Committee to create a comprehensive five-year plan, detailing what can be done in the meantime on the chance they’re invited into the core program, or support will be withdrawn.
The School Committee plans to forgo the MSBA’s accelerated repair program, which would have repaired Wilbraham Middle School’s doors and windows, and apply for the core program instead to focus on the entire building.
Support from the Hampden Selectboard isn’t mandatory for the School Committee to move forward through withdrawing, however, School Committee member Michael Tirabassi told Hampden that their support, along with the support of the Wilbraham Select Board, would be tremendous help in the core program application process.
Wilbraham Select Board Chair Michael Squindo told Reminder Publishing that they voted unanimously in support of the withdrawal and application into the core program during their Dec. 8 meeting.
Before voting on its decision, Hampden Selectboard member Donald Davenport gave a recap of the joint meeting between the Hampden Selectboard, Wilbraham Select Board and the School Committee on Dec. 2.
“The years of neglecting the routine necessary maintenance and long identified repairs of the town of Wilbraham-owned Wilbraham Middle School has finally reached a point where doing nothing is no longer an option,” Davenport said.
Davenport reiterated that the decision to withdraw is solely by discretion of the School Committee, and the decision isn’t new. A long-term approach was recommended by the task force previously in February 2015. It was also recommended that the district partner with the MSBA to support the educational, social and emotional needs of the children of Hampden and Wilbraham.
“Here we are 10 years later, agonizing over the same issues,” Davenport said. “In the meanwhile, over those 10 years, little to nothing has been done to implement the recommended repairs or relieve the overcrowding. The answer is clear, we need to have a long term look at the future here.”
Davenport also said the most pressing issue is what will be done over the next two to three years while the core progress plays out, which could even take as long as six or seven years.
“What are we going to do to protect the health and safety of the students and faculty, and improve the educational environment for the students currently in the building and for those who will soon be in the building until a long term solution is formulated,” Davenport said.
In the School Committee’s communication to the Hampden Selectboard, the present issues were outlined. Based on the 2015 feasibility study, several building systems needed extensive work, including HVAC, water and sanitation, windows and doors, fire protection systems and the kitchen. Serious air quality issues were also noted, along with asbestos contained floor tiling beginning to crack. Davenport said none of this includes the overcrowded spaces, where “children are in areas not conducive to learning.”
The lease agreement between the town of Wilbraham and the regional committee states it is the responsibility of the tenant to repair and maintain the property. Costs of more than $35,000 are considered capital costs, and all expenses in the nature of capital are the responsibility of the town in which the school resides.
“I’m willing to support the request contingent on the region and the owner of the building, the town of Wilbraham, in compliance with the regional agreement and the lease agreement,” Davenport said. “Take immediate and constructive action to prioritize and develop an action plan to mitigate the current deficiencies while the core program process progresses.”
Davenport said it is unfair to the students, faculty and staff to delay any further steps to mitigate the many issues presented. Chair John Flynn added the overall concept is good, but there are “nuts and bolts that need to be addressed as part of it.”
Selectboard member Erik Vanderleen is a parent with children in Wilbraham Middle School and said they need to move forward and think bigger, because the current accelerated repair program is just “putting bandaids on a bigger problem.”
“There needs to be something done to the existing school while the core program is being evaluated,” Vanderleen said. “These things take time, so I definitely think there could be some stop gaps … just enough to make the air quality better, things like that.”
The Hampden Selectboard plans to continue to meet with the School Committee to ensure all of its concerns are being met.
