BELLOWS FALLS — The details of a $10.5 million renovation plan for the Bellows Falls Middle School were presented to residents at a public meeting last Thursday at the school.
Following a vote at the 2010 Town Meeting to allocate $20,000 for a study, the Rockingham School Board Renovation Committee and Black River Design, a Montpelier-based consulting firm, spent a year coming up with a plan for the future of the 1926 school building.
Committee chair Michel Harty led the meeting and, along with representatives from the School Board and school administrators, answered questions from the public.
Those in attendance were concerned about the cost of the project, how it will affect property taxes, the effect on classes at the school, and the length of time it would take to complete the project.
On March 1, voters will be asked to consider a $10.5 million bond request by the Rockingham School District to pay for the renovations. The polls will be open between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the Town Hall in Bellows Falls.
Other options had been discussed in depth over the past year and dismissed. The Grafton/Athens, Westminster, and the Bellows Falls Union High School boards had all been approached about consolidation of school districts. All boards expressed an unwillingness to look into any such option, alhough Dave Clark, Chair of the District 27 Board, said in a press release last week that the board “simply wishes to make it known that it desires to continue to work proactively with Rockingham School Board to address educational issues of mutual interest.”
Explaining the need
Harty gave a short history of the school and the renovation project. After a year of study and collaboration with Black River Design, it was determined that renovation of the middle school was the only option available to address the needs of the middle school.
Doing nothing, Harty said, was not an option for the safety of the school, children, and anyone who uses the school.
The last major upgrade of the school's heating and electrical systems was done in 1955, Harty said, when an addition was built onto the original 1926 building and much of its original infrastructure was either replaced or upgraded.
The building, which had been used as the high school until a new one was built and opened in Westminster in 1971, is known today for its inadequate and inconsistent heating and electrical systems. Some classrooms are freezing cold, while others swelter, and electric use is monitored so that electrical breakers are not tripped due to overloads, which happens often.
The middle school has struggled with maintaining codes, said Harty, so fixing the source of the problem made sense.
John Hemmelgarn of Black River Design said that his firm has been involved in “dozens and dozens” of school renovation and design projects throughout the state. He presented a summary of what work needs to be done, as well as associated estimated costs.
Heating the building will rely upon two systems - one using fuel oil, and the other using wood pellets. Hammelgarn said they decided to have two systems so one could always back up the other one in case of really cold days. He said while oil was readily available, its price is volatile. Wood pellet prices are more consistent and supplies could come from local sources.
Hammelgarn said that quite a bit of research was done on preserving the historic windows, while making the so-called “thermal envelope” more secure. Storm windows were seen as the best solution. The basement would also be dug out and insulated better, according to the Black River plan. Sprinkler systems would be added to bring the building into code.
A '21st century' school
The renovation committee also worked with Black River Design to address egress in case of fire resulting in three different escape routes on each floor where previously some floors only had one; improving handicap access through the front of the building on a ramp via a secure entrance; and designing a dedicated science lab that would replace the cobbled together room now in use.
“We want to bring the middle school up to 21st century learning standards and make sure children have access to a real science lab,” said Principal Cheri McDaniel-Thomas.
Making sure all classrooms have access to current computer technology is part of the plan, McDaniel-Thomas said, as well as space for use by the community.
The $10.5 million cost includes asbestos removal, required permits, a clerk of the works [someone who is on site ensuring that everything is being done in a timely fashion], consultants fees, surveying, moving and storage, and the purchase of new furniture and computer technology.
During the meeting, Hammelgarn concurred with board members that asking for every possible contingent cost now would ensure that the project did not stall because of lack of funding. Harty and Hammelgarn also noted that construction and material costs were lower now than they have been in years, but that the cost would go up in the near future if the bond were not approved this year by voters.
Based on the current property taxes on a $200,000 home in Rockingham, the bond would add between $180 and $220 to the yearly tax bill. Harty said that estimate was dependent on whether the bond was financed through a low interest bond at 1 percent through the federal government, or through a conventional bond at 4.5 percent.
As many homes in Rockingham qualify for reduced tax bills based on the income sensitivity provisions of Act 60, Harty said it was difficult to pin down exactly what the tax rate would be per household or family.
Concerns expressed by the public about whether the student base would remain the same over the next 10 years were addressed by Harty, who noted that the Bellows Falls Middle School was a core school, and if student population were to drop, consolidation would occur around it, and other schools would send their students to Rockingham.
But Harty admitted that student population was impossible to predict.
The public meeting was recorded by Falls Area Community Television, and is available on its website at http://www.fact8.com/e107_plugins/media_library/media_library.php?titles.26.view.6778.
A website with architectural drawings, financial information, schedule and planning, and classroom impact can be found at http://bfmsrenovation.squarespace.com.