Does the town of Orange really need a new elementary school? The Dexter Park School is a brick building that was, and still could be, an attractive and functional elementary school.
Repairing Dexter and upgrading Fisher Hill will take an estimated $18.5 million. The proposed new school building is estimated to cost $47.5 million. Orange taxpayers would have to pay $23.1 million for a new school; the Massachusetts MSBA would pay $34.6 million dollars (of course Orange taxpayers pay state taxes,too).
Maybe Orange taxpayers should save themselves $4.6 million dollars by repairing and upgrading what they already have so the children can return to class this fall — instead of waiting another whole year for pie in the sky! The Dexter/Fisher Hill campus is already beautifully landscaped, too.
Fred Schindler
Orange