Two For $380,000

The apparent total cost to purchase the two portable classrooms that are not scheduled for use next year (or in subsequent years) for grade-specific classroom use. On October 15, 2007, the Select Board voted 4-0 (with one abstention) to support Article 5 on that fall's Town Meeting Warrant. This Article called for the appropriation of $195,000 (in addition to the $80,000 previously appropriated) for the purchase of two modular (aka portable) classrooms for Marks Meadow. Voting in support of this Article were current SB members Brewer and Weiss.

At the October 17, 2007 School Committee meeting, the Marks Meadow School Improvement Plan was presented and included the mention of these two proposed modular classrooms. At the time, SC member Churchill "noted that the School Committee needs to look hard at whether we need to add two or four modular classrooms, understanding that there is a financial component to be considered." Fortunately, the School Committee did NOT decide to follow up on that suggestion and recommend the purchase of four modular classrooms!

Town Meeting passed Article 5 by 2/3 vote on November 5, 2007:
ARTICLE 5. Capital – Mark’s Meadow Portable Classrooms (Joint Capital Planning Committee) VOTED by a declared two-thirds that the sum of $195,000 be and hereby is appropriated to pay costs of purchasing portable classrooms for the use of the School Department and for the payment of all other costs incidental and related thereto, which amount shall be expended in addition to the $80,000 previously appropriated for this purpose, and that to meet this appropriation, the Treasurer, with the approval of the Select Board, is hereby authorized to borrow said amount under and pursuant to Chapter 44, Section 7(9) of the General Laws, or pursuant to any other enabling authority, and to issue bonds or notes of the Town therefor. Action taken on 11/5/07.

On May 12, 2008, Town Meeting further appropriated another $105,000 toward the purchase of these modular classrooms as brought forth in Article 17, Part C:
C. VOTED by a declared two-thirds to amend the actions taken under Article 5 of the Special Town Meeting held on November 5, 2007, and appropriate $105,000 to pay costs of purchasing portable classrooms for the use of the School Department and for the payment of all other costs incidental and related thereto, which amount shall be expended in addition to the $195,000 previously appropriated for this purpose, and to meet this appropriation, the Treasurer, with the approval of the Select Board, is hereby authorized to borrow said amount under and pursuant to Chapter 44, Section 7(9) of the General Laws, or pursuant to any other enabling authority, and to issue bonds or notes of the Town therefore. Action taken 5/19/2008.

This brought the total cost to purchase the modular classrooms to $380,000 appropriated by Town Meeting. These modular classrooms were delivered in October 2008 but are not currently used as grade-specific classrooms.

Under the current projections, Marks Meadow will use only 9 of the available 10 classrooms in the main building for grade-specific classes next year. If Marks Meadow is closed following the 2009-2010 school year, apparently, there will still be no need to use these two modular classrooms on another school campus. According to the Elementary Reorganization materials discussed in recent forums, "We project that we will be able to contain all our classrooms within Crocker Farm, Fort River and Wildwood Schools without use of the modulars. If it is decided that the modulars must be moved, the net Year 1 savings will be reduced to approximately $392,000. Consideration may also be given to selling the modulars." I just hope they are able to recoup a significant portion of this $380,000 if they do sell the modulars. I further hope that more attention will be paid to enrollment projections by our decision-makers in the future.