WPS School Plan to be Re-Evaluated

07/11/2007

Washington to Update Single School Plan

By: Ann Compton


WASHINGTON - The Board of Selectmen agreed at its June 28 meeting that it's time for Washington to update its single school plan.
In a conversation with Board of Finance member Jack Field, the board decided to appoint a task force to update the town's two-year-old single school plan, a process that has already taken place in Region 12's Bridgewater and Roxbury.
"The way it's looking, we will wind up in a three-school mode rather than with a consolidated school," observed Mr. Field. "There are many things we need to address: an all-purpose gym, curb appeal, the effects of affordable housing and the flood plain.
"It may make more sense to build a new school rather than fixing the old one," he said, referring to the town's Washington Primary School.
The three Region 12 towns have been embroiled in a tussle for months over the consolidated school issue, with no sign of resolution on the horizon.
"We have to have the best plan possible for a single school," stressed Mr. Field. "It may take a lot of time with all the legal entanglements to get this sorted out and people could become impatient to have an individual school here."
A June referendum set to take place in the three towns on the issue of a consolidated school was abandoned and continuing legal action has put any direction on hold for the three towns.
The Washington Board of Selectmen moved to reinstate the task force which developed the school plan two years ago, to include new and former members along with Washington members of the Region 12 Board of Education, selectmen, members of the Building Committee and others.
First Selectman Richard Sears planned to have the group in place by last week. The new group's first task is to formulate a request for proposals to be issued as soon as possible.
The group plans to meet weekly through the summer in order to present ideas to the town in the next few months.
Mr. Field reported that the Board of Finance agreed at its last meeting that it would support an allocation of $15,000 for professional consulting help with this work.
"This will reopen the conversation about what we want," said Mr. Sears, who suggested that the board also consider hiring an architectural engineer to perform a feasibility study. The selectmen agreed to pursue that plan.
"Roxbury and Bridgewater have both come up with their own plans," said Mr. Field.
"This issue is complicated because the makeup of the Board of Education is different; the consolidation concept has been challenged and the courts will have to decide on it. It's time to revisit our own school plan."