EASTHAMPTON — A proposed consolidated school could cost an average Easthampton homeowner an extra $680 to $875 in annual property taxes.
But proponents of the school, which would serve pre-K through eighth grade students, say it’s desperately needed.
“Tax me, please,” said Katy Berube, a reading specialist at Maple Street School who spoke in favor of the building project at the second of several public forums that drew 30 people to the Municipal Building Thursday night. Residents had many questions about the project, but no one spoke against it.
The project to consolidate the city’s three elementary schools — Maple, Center and Pepin — and White Brook Middle School is estimated to range between $101 million to $109 million. Half of the costs would be covered by the Massachusetts School Building Authority, leaving a total bond debt for the project at $61 million.
The preliminary tax impact range is $2.98 to $3.83 per $1,000 of assessed value, said Mel Overmoyer, a project manager contracted to represent the district and the MSBA. The bond range is in the 20- to 30-year range.
Berube’s children are now in their 20s, but were educated through the Easthampton public schools. She said White Brook held many community events, meetings and after-school programs.
“The school housed everything for us,” she said.
But the middle school, as well as the century-old elementary schools, are not adequate for today’s learning, Superintendent Nancy Follansbee said. Elementary schools are overcrowded, with teachers using the stairwells and hallways as breakout classroom space. The schools are locked in by neighborhoods and streets. Follansbee said there’s no room to expand the buildings and many lack handicap accessibility.
Sara Amoroso has two kids, ages 7 and 5, attending Maple School. She said they love it, but she’s noticed the cramped space and inefficient air-conditioning system.
“Maple School is great, but we know it can’t last forever,” Amoroso said. “One of my sons goes to speech in a closet right now.”
At the middle school, the layout at the school was intended for an open classroom setting. Now there are dividers separating classrooms and walls jury-rigged in place. Sixth grade teacher Michelle Connelly said she has taught in numerous classrooms at White Brook.
“Just this year, I moved into a classroom with walls and a door,” Connelly said.
The middle school is the largest consumer of electricity in the city. A new school would considerably reduce the cost of utilities for the city, said Dayle Doiron, director of business services for the district. The four schools currently average at $347,882 in fossil fuel and electricity costs. The utilities at the proposed pre-K through grade 8 school is estimated to cost $223,904 — saving the city more than $120,000 a year.
With one school, Doiron said maintenance could also be more efficient. Rather than maintaining four aging buildings with failing systems, there would be one updated more efficient building.
Another economic benefit to the city could come from keeping children in Easthampton schools. In fiscal 2017, the estimated total cost to the city for choice and charter is over $2 million. But with a new school, Follansbee said that number could go down.
“What we’ve discovered since we built the new high school is that students leaving the district for choice and charter have been decreasing,” Follansbee said. “And we’ve had an increase in using the choice program to attend our schools.”
The city will hold another public forum on July 18.
Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettnet.com.