Inside the Override, Part 1: The Beebe School

The following is the first in a series explaining the particulars of a planned vote to override Proposition 2 1/2 in April.

Published November 30, 2018

By MAYOR GAIL M. INFURNA

MELROSE — One of the questions that people have asked me since we sent the override question to the Board of Aldermen is what our plans are for the Beebe School. I think it is important to explain that.

The override includes $250,000 to replace the rental income from the Beebe property, which is currently being leased to an outside organization. The rents garnered from school facilities, including the Beebe, are included in the overall school budget and help to fund a variety of needs. Losing that funding will impact the overall school budget.

If the override passes, we will be able to phase out that lease and begin developing options as to how that property can be used by the Melrose Public Schools to address space needs at both the elementary and high school levels. Because the override vote will not be until April 2019, there will be no impact on students until the beginning of the 2020 school year at the earliest.

Reclaiming the Beebe property may not mean using it as a K-5 school. The April vote is only the first step in the planning process. As a community, we need to know if we can use the building before deciding how to use it. We heard very clearly at the listening sessions and on the questionnaires that residents want to see a long-term plan. The Permanent School Building Committee and the School Committee are responsible for designing a comprehensive plan that will look at all properties of the Melrose Public Schools and how best to use them in order to accommodate our growing school population.

While the city has, wisely, retained ownership of the Beebe property, knowing the day might come when we would need the additional space, we cannot afford to take $250,000 (the current rent for the building) out of the school budget. This is why those funds have been included in the override ballot question.

If the override passes, we will use that money to replace the lost rent and plan for the additional space that will then be available to us. If it does not pass, the School Building Committee and the School Committee will proceed with the knowledge that the Beebe property will not be available. The rent will continue to be factored into the school budget and space issues will need to be addressed otherwise.

Two years ago, when we first faced this problem, the solution was to build modular classrooms at the Winthrop and Hoover schools. Those classrooms, which were funded with a one-time bond, are built on permanent foundations. They were necessary then and they will continue to be necessary. They were, and remain, a sound investment for our schools.

However, our school population has continued to outpace our available facilities, so if the override passes, we will proceed in three phases. Phase 1 is ending the current lease and reclaiming the Beebe property. In Phase 2, the School Building Committee will study how best to address the space needs that exist for all students and staff and make a recommendation to the School Committee. Once the School Committee approves the plan, Phase 3 will be to actually bring the building back online.

There are a number of possible ways to use the Beebe. The final decision rests with the School Building Committee and the School Committee. The purpose of including the Beebe property in the override question is simply to make that space available. It is up to both committees to determine its final use.