WHATELY — Moving dates for late December and early January have been set for Union 38 to relocate its central offices into converted classroom space at Frontier Regional School.
In a public notice posted on the school district’s official website, Superintendent Lynn M. Carey wrote, “We will be moving our offices on Dec. 23 and 27. We plan to be completely operational by the time school is in session on Jan. 2, 2017.”
The scheduled move comes after a relocation study conducted by an ad hoc committee, formed following reports of poor air quality in the district’s current administration building on Christian Lane. Specifically, the committee looked into repairing the Christian Lane building, moving into space in the town office building, and converting classrooms at Frontier Regional School.
Based on the committee’s recommendation, the Frontier Regional and Union 38 school committees voted to move into space in the school earlier this fall.
Ultimately, the ad hoc committee decided on the school at least in part because “the space available at Frontier Regional School is 4,500 square feet as opposed to 2,600 square feet available at Sandy Lane,” the town offices.
Carey’s statement notes that “any modifications to the (school) building would be modest in cost,” especially compared to repairing the Christian Lane building.
“Financially, the best use of district funds includes using the space that the taxpayers own and currently maintain,” the superintendent wrote. “I feel it would not be in our four districts’ best interest to invest taxpayer money into a building we do not own.”
Carey noted that “the subcommittee has worked hard to ensure there will be a minimum of financial impact to the Frontier Regional and Union 38 School districts’ taxpayers. We have planned our move to have the least impact on school district business as well as on the students and teachers at Frontier Regional School.”