I am writing this letter to express my views as a member of the School Building Committee. I feel it’s important to let residents know about some of the following points regarding the Hildreth Elementary School renovation.
Regarding the HES building project, at the very least, the expert advice is to demolish and rebuild the current K-wing due to the age and condition of the building and its major systems and to bring the 1988 building up to current code requirements and ADA compliancy.
I don’t believe the “very least” is what Harvard’s youngest students and their teachers deserve. The people of Harvard have a rare opportunity to create the best learning and teaching environment for our sole elementary school and our youngest school-age children. We stand to receive $15 million in reimbursement from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).
There is no “zero money spent” option for HES. At the 2018 Annual Town Meeting, the town will vote on the building committee’s choice of preferred renovation or new-build option. If this option is voted down, we are no longer in the MSBA program and the town is not reimbursed $15 million. Should that happen, the town would be responsible for full payment of the demolition and new construction of the K-wing as well as the renovation of the 1988 building, plus the cost of modular classrooms to house the students while the renovations are done—at an estimated cost of approximately $22 million.
It is difficult for a school district to be accepted into the MSBA program. Superintendent Linda Dwight submitted an application in 2014. HES was accepted into the program in early 2016. Ninety-seven schools applied and 26 were accepted. It is likely that if we lose our place in the program we may not be accepted a second time. As it is, we are on borrowed time with the K-wing. The air quality is checked three times per year. Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing how long this will stay stable. Even within the MSBA program, construction of any sort is three years away. If we lose our place in the program, more time will pass and more money will likely be spent on HES.
As David Nalchajian, Harvard’s finance director, stated in a May 26 Harvard Press article, from a “financial perspective” he was not alarmed. In fact, because this is a MSBA project, borrowing for the HES project won’t count against the town’s debt capacity. Our finance director is right when he says our town has not taken on such a large project in a long time, and, “It’s time.”
We have an opportunity to build a new school, and to be reimbursed $15 million. People move to Harvard for its schools and rural character. Everybody’s property values benefit by the excellence of our schools. It is necessary to get this project right. If renovation is the chosen option, we will continue to have two buildings of different ages that are connected to each other. In the case of HES, this design has been a failure. I believe new construction is the least disruptive option for students and teachers, will take less time, and end with a more energy-efficient building with optimal learning design at its heart. Also, there will be no surprises as there could be with a renovation. I believe there are ways to lessen the tax burden and I will be exploring every possibility.
The building committee votes on a preferred option June 8. Please take HES Building Project Survey 2.
Mary Traphagen, chairwoman
School Committee
