LONGMEADOW — The School Committee approved referral of an article to fund the construction of a combined middle school on Williams Street for inclusion on the Sept. 9 Town Meeting warrant.
Superintendent M. Martin O’Shea began the discussion by showing a slide explaining the cost difference between performing code upgrades and repairs at the two middle schools — $85.3 million for Glenbrook and $69.47 million for Williams — as compared to the $151.59 million cost of building the combined middle school.
He pointed out that building the new school would save the town more than $3 million. He also said it was unknown how much the Massachusetts School Building Authority would reimburse the town for a code upgrade.
School Committee member Emily Hansen pointed out that construction costs are only increasing over time and a school renovation in the future would cost more than is currently estimated.
The combined school is the “fiscally conservative choice,” said School Committee member Jaime Hensch.
School Committee member Nicole Choiniere pointed out that the choice voters will be given at the Sept. 9 Town Meeting will not be between a new school and renovations for the existing ones. The MSBA’s process is rigid, and the town has passed the point of considering renovations.
School Committee Chair Michaela Fitzgerald asked O’Shea to expound on the impact of a failed vote. The town would need to “get back in line,” the superintendent said, adding, “I think we would be hard pressed to convince the MSBA to reengage” after a failed vote this year.
O’Shea estimated that it would take five years before the town would have another chance to secure MSBA funding for either middle school. Once that project was finished, there would be at least another five-year window before the second school could be tackled.
“To have one school that was fully repaired and another school that was waiting in line, it would create some disparities that would be really difficult I’d say for us,” O’Shea said. He added that the MSBA is an essential partner because the scale of simply repairing the schools is “beyond what the town could be reasonably expected to carry on its own.”
Fitzgerald said the School Department has more than the middle schools to consider when pursuing MSBA funding. “We can’t go backward. We have to move forward for what’s best for all the kids,” she said.
Renovating the schools would require students to be disrupted, moving them to modular classrooms or other accommodations for the three years of construction, Hensch said, remarking, “I don’t think that’s fair for those kids going to middle school.” Further, he said a code upgrade would do nothing to address the academic shortcomings of the schools.
A letter from the Special Education Alliance of Longmeadow expressing support for the combined middle school was read into the record. It read, in part, “The updated facilities and thoughtful design will provide an inclusive and supportive environment particularly for all students, particularly those with emotional, behavioral and other disabilities.” The letter cited improved lighting, modernized classrooms and an accessible layout.
On another topic, O’Shea addressed the controversy left in the wake of middle school librarian Scott McGinley’s arrest on Aug. 13. After an investigation by the FBI in Tennessee, McGinley was charged with distribution of child sexual abuse materials. O’Shea described the criminal matter as “really troubling, disturbing, angering and, frankly, disgusting.”
O’Shea emphasized that he was aware of no complaints registered with the School Department related to the crime with which McGinley was charged. Fitzgerald noted that nearly every administrator from all six schools in the district were in the room. She said it showed how seriously administrators were taking the situation.
“Our intention has been to get information and resources to our families,” O’Shea said. As students return to school for the 2025-26 year, he said it was important that they be reminded of their “security” at school and that there are “trusted adults” they can turn to.
O’Shea reaffirmed statements from the previous week in which he said the district would be hiring an independent third party to review these school departments records and practices to see if the administration missed something. “We’re prepared to act on the findings of that independent firm, close what he said. Looking forward, O’Shea said the School Committee will review practices under its purview to strengthen protections for children.
The School Committee approved a statement of support for the superintendent’s response to the arrest. It reads, in part, “We are absolutely committed to putting student safety first and this committee stands ready to respond to any policy review or changes that arise during the course of the third-party investigation.”
