Longmeadow residents have voted to move forward a $151 million dollar project that would consolidate the Williams and Glenbrook middle schools in town. At Tuesday's town meeting, residents voted in support of the project by a more than three to one margin.
There has been controversy over the $96 million dollar cost residents will have to shoulder after a grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). Residents who oppose the project say it’s too expensive for people to pay in addition to other projects the town is proposing.
But Cameron Burke, chair for a campaign in support of the project, said it will be more expensive to renovate two buildings than one.
"I think the alternative is having two crumbling schools. And I would much rather pay more each month towards my taxes to have a brand new school than to have schools that I don't feel are safe to send my children to,” Burke said.
Longmeadow Public Schools Superintendent Martin O'Shea said this project has been in the works for eight years now because the need to repair these two middle schools was so great.
“At each school we're looking at needing to replace electrical systems, HVAC systems, plumbing, the envelope of the buildings are also at the end of their useful life, so kind of knowing that we had two schools that were in similar states of need, the school building committee quickly came to the conclusion that a combined facility made the most sense for us," O’Shea said.
O’Shea said it was also the “most fiscally responsible solution” in the view of the middle school building committee, Longmeadow Town Select board, town finance Committee and the school Committee.
He said they currently have two relatively small middle schools that inhibit programming, but that a combined setting would be better to match programs to student needs.
“There'll be more flexibility, more educational economy of scale to create programs and offerings that fit exactly what kids need,” O’Shea said.
The combined school would be at the Williams middle school location.
There will be another vote for town residents to approve how the project will be funded at the end of the month.
