by Jeff Shmase
LYNNFIELD – A plan to study expanding the high school has been tabled from the April Town Meeting.
The School Committee on Monday chose not to include the matter for the Town Meeting warrant after determining it was premature to put it before voters.
This is the second time the matter has not been acted upon. Selectmen postponed action on the item at the October 2009 Town Meeting, as well.
The School Committee recommended the delay until it has a better estimate of the cost of the study, chair Dorothy Presser said.
Superintendent of Schools Robert Hassett said the state agency that oversees school building construction and renovation would not object to a delay, during an interview last Friday.
While the state agency told Hassett to ask for up to $500,000 for the study, he believes the figure will ultimately be much less than that number.
“We have a pretty focused idea of what we want to do which I think will help us lower costs,” Hassett said.
School officials said the expansion is necessary because the school is becoming overcrowded. At the time of the building renovation earlier this decade, enrollment was around 500 students. That figure is now 680.
The town is also eligible for a partial reimbursement of the study of 40 percent. So hypothetically, a $400,000 study would cost $240,000, plus short-term interest costs for borrowing money.
If voters approve the authorization, the next step will be to decide whether the town wants to borrow money for construction of an addition. That, too, would be determined by Town Meeting – if it gets to that point.
Finally, the School Department is looking at using permanent modular construction as the building method, and Hassett has been told the cost estimate is around $4 million. Construction costs, too, would be reimbursable at 40 percent.
Selectmen will close the warrant Friday morning.
