EASTHAMPTON — With recent school shootings in the news, Easthampton is taking security measures seriously for its proposed pre-K-through-grade 8 school.
At a public forum Tuesday, project architect Bert Gardner, of Caolo & Bieniek Associates, showed a design for the new $109 million school that would consolidate the city’s three century-old elementary schools and structurally flawed middle school. The plans show separate wings for pre-K, elementary and middle schools with secured doors on each wing.
Windows on the first floor would have shatterproof glass and the school would be monitored by video surveillance. There are two main entrances to the school — one for elementary school and one for middle school — and each will be locked, requiring someone to contact the office and be identified before entering.
Gardner said he met with Police Chief Robert Alberti and Fire Chief David Mottor over the past week to discuss safety measures.
With one school resource officer and five schools in the district, Alberti said combining four schools into one will make security more manageable and effective.
“I’m sure most of you saw today that one school resource officer at one particular school probably saved a thousand lives,” Alberti said, referencing Tuesday’s shooting at a Maryland high school where the school resource officer intervened.
Mottor said the new school will be equipped with a modern fire alarm system as well as a sprinkler system throughout the entire school.
“Some of the hostile threats around this country have revolved around attempts to burn,” Mottor said. “If we have a fully sprinklered school building, that threat’s taken away.”
A new alarm system will also indicate what device has been activated and where it is in the building, reducing the time it takes to respond to the fire, Mottor said.
The project cost is estimated to total $109 million, although School Building Committee Chairman Thomas Brown said it could cost less than that. If approved, the Massachusetts School Building Authority would cover roughly half, leaving $59 million for the city to fund through a debt exclusion override. The project will go to a vote on May 22.
For the average homeowner, with property valued at $228,400, the annual tax impact would be $680 to $875.
Supporters of the new school say it will offer savings in utility costs. The annual utility costs for the three elementary schools and middle school now add up to $347,882. The annual utility costs for the new school are expected to be $223,904, saving the district $123,978.
The timeline projects construction to start in 2019 and be complete by 2021. It’s planned to be built on the same property as White Brook Middle School which will operate fully during the construction phase and will be demolished once the new school is finished.
A top concern for residents is traffic, especially those who live on Park Street.
Berkshire Design Group has conducted a traffic study and Mayor Nicole LaChapelle they have not yet received the report. She said research will continue, looking into factors such as how many students walk to school and how many are driven to school.
The next public forum will be Tuesday, May 1, at 6:30 at the Municipal Building, 50 Payson Ave.
Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.