MONTAGUE — Gill-Montague Regional School District Director of Business and Operations Joanne Blier and Superintendent Brian Beck engaged the Selectboard in preliminary discussions this week regarding the prospect of constructing a new elementary school building.
Blier said the new facility, estimated by the Massachusetts School Building Authority to cost $55 million, would be constructed alongside the current Sheffield Elementary School and classes would be moved out of the older Hillcrest Elementary School. Blier framed the idea as a matter of financial and infrastructural practicality, noting in her presentation that the building authority’s condition assessment of the current facilities estimated capital repairs to cost $6.86 million. This estimate, she said, is “a huge amount of money to put into two of our older buildings that are overcrowded” and lack certain school needs.
Sheffield Elementary was built in 1988, while Hillcrest was built in 1958, according to condition assessments on Montague’s town website. Beck described each of the two buildings as having “major needs” in the realm of heating, cooling, flooring, ceiling, exterior and roofing. Each building, he said, has three classrooms per grade level and a series of shortcomings. Hillcrest, he explained, lacks a library, conference room and emergency exits, while Sheffield lacks sinks and bathrooms in the second-grade classrooms, and could use additional classroom space.
“Obviously, the educational circumstances, as opposed to two decades ago, are very different for students today,” Beck noted.
While the estimate for a new building sits at $55 million based on comparable past projects, $41.8 million would be reimbursed by the state, leaving Montague with an expected cost of $13.2 million. The annual cost for the building over a 20-year period, including interest, is estimated at $825,000. This annual cost would be greater over a five-year period while construction is completed, however, with the cost of capital projects to maintain use of existing buildings bringing the annual total to $1.37 million.
While Selectboard members were supportive of seeing the idea develop further, they voiced initial concerns following the administrators’ presentation.
“My first thought is: ‘What are the taxpayers going to think about this?’” Selectboard Vice Chair Chris Boutwell said.
“My concern is that the historical average for similar-size buildings is going to be pretty blown up with our current pandemic inflation and other world cost issues,” Selectboard Clerk Matt Lord said of the $55 million estimate.
After Beck said the idea was proposed to the Gill-Montague School Committee as “more or less of a brainstorm,” Selectboard Chair Rich Kuklewicz requested Blier and Beck return with input from the committee.
“I would like a clear message through the committee to this board on what their thoughts are,” he said.
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-772-0261, ext. 261 or jmendoza@recorder.com.