LONGMEADOW — The Longmeadow School Department is requesting funding for nine capital projects, but Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Tom Mazza emphasized he only expects a couple projects to make it to the final budget.
Each year, the School Department submits a list of capital projects — generally defined as those that cost $25,000 or more — to the town’s Capital Planning Committee. With only $2 million with which to fund the entire town’s capital needs, the committee prioritizes the requests it receives from town departments and that list is submitted to Town Manager Lyn Simmons, who works with Finance Director Ian Coddington to craft the budget.
Items on the School Department’s wish list this year range from HVAC equipment to security measures and internet connectivity upgrades. At the School Committee’s Nov. 14 meeting, Mazza said, “Realistically, we’ll be lucky if we get one or two of [the requests].”
The highest priority in the safety category is $75,000 in additional funding for security cameras to address areas with limited coverage.
School Committee member Estelle Jordan urged Mazza to make sure the cameras are compatible with fiber connections. A municipal fiber optic data network was approved at the Nov. 12 Town Meeting.
A new public address system is needed for Williams Middle School. The existing system does not carry messages outside the building, leaving staff to carry two-way radios. School Committee member Adam Rosenblum asked if the speakers carry emergency notifications, but Mazza said the building is too old for that. The fire alarms are on a separate system. Considering a new middle school is planned for the site, School Committee Chair Nicole Choiniere wondered if the replacement system can be moved over to the new building. Mazza said it was “highly doubtful” and acknowledged the concern. “How much do we invest in the current building?” he asked.
The HVAC chiller for Blueberry Hill School is due for replacement. Issues with the chillers at other schools led to mold issues earlier this year. The replacement is among the most expensive items on the list at $700,000. Related to the moisture issues at the elementary schools, replacement carpeting is required to eliminate potential health issues, as well as trip hazards. This project was quoted at $100,000.
Mazza did not have a dollar amount available for the implementation of the new stadium field as the report on the project was not yet available. However, Mazza told the School Committee to expect the project to run “in the millions,” whether the report recommends turf or sod.
Each year, Mazza includes painting on the list of projects. He said the Capital Planning Committee insists that painting is maintenance and not a capital expense, but there is no line item for painting in the town’s budget. Previously, the town had used some of the federal American Rescue Plan Act money it was allocated, but Mazza said the needs far surpassed the funding.
In the technology category, the School Department is seeking to replace a wireless access point and switch, which is required to allow internet connectivity. The equipment, estimated at $260,000, is at the end of its expected life. Mazza said there may be some federal funding available for this item.
At more than 10 years old, classroom projection equipment is “starting to die,” Mazza said. The first phase of the replacements is projected to cost $50,000. The final item on the list is a direct fiber optic link to the police station.
The line currently runs through Town Hall, but the town offices have relocated to the Greenwood Center. Included in this is remote access equipment for WestComm Regional Dispatch.
The list was referred to the Capital Planning Committee for review.
