Schools seek $674.5K for capital needs

Schools seek $674.5K for capital needs

By NEIL ZOLOT

WAKEFIELD – School Department Facilities Director Tim O’Brien explained $674,500 in capital improvement requests to the School Committee at their meeting Tuesday, January 23. The final decision will be made by the Capital Planning Committee and Town Meeting. 

“We make note of projects we think will qualify with the Capital Committee, but every town department is tapping into the same pool,” he said. “We’re all vying for the same $1.8 million.”

Prioritized as Tier 1 requests are $400,000 to update school security cameras and access control. O’Brien researched the matter last year, working with Ed Davis Security and Management Consulting, and a system similar to the one planned for the new High School will be used. “It’s a good time to upgrade the rest of the district and be as up-to-date as we can be,” he said. “This will bring us into this century and use equipment recommended by experts.”

The system will be supplied by Genetec.

Also requested is $75,000 for work on the play area at the Walton School to finish previous work that included relocating the play structure to a safer spot behind the school away from traffic. A bugaboo has been creating a safe grassy area for the students. “No matter what we try, we can’t make it an acceptable place to play,” O’Brien confessed. “We want to make sure they have fun in safe conditions.”

He’s planning on replacing the top soil to try.

A third Tier 1 priority is replacing a rotting door and doorway at the Doyle School, for $15,000. “This isn’t a huge item, but is incredibly important for security and keeping the elements out,” O’Brien feels.

Of less importance, classified as Tier 2, is $10,000 to replace flooring in the main office of the Greenwood School and $7,500 to replace flooring in one classroom at Doyle. O’Brien thinks those areas were tiled at different times than other parts of the buildings.

Another $30,000 could be spent on a new gym floor at the Dolbeare School, work similar to the new gym floor at Woodville. O’Brien called it a “major facelift for the building.”

There’s also a request for $125,000 for a rubber surface play area at Dolbeare, which O’Brien called the “last piece of the puzzle” in the district for those items.

Classified as Tier 3 is a request for $12,000 for a badge system for school elevators.

At this point the requests are sort of a wish list. “There’s no guarantee we’ll get the money,” O’Brien explained. “Hopefully we’ll get the money this summer and be off to the races,” a reference to Fiscal 2025 starting in mid-2024.

In the meantime, equipment for HVAC for Woodville will be arriving in April.

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The School Committee also heard from members of the cast of Legally Blonde, Jr. The Musical, which will be staged at Galvin Middle School from Thursday, January 25 through Saturday, January 27 at 7 p.m., with a 2 p.m, matinee Sunday, January 28. Cast member Avery Viscardi Bankert read the School Committee and Department Mission Statement at this week’s meeting.

Galvin teacher and show director Elton Knupp said the show was chosen because “we’re totally student run and I was looking for something that incorporates as many people as possible and it’s a fun show.”

She hinted there will be a special guest in the Saturday performance.

“I’ve seen some of the shows and the talent is amazing,” School Committee member Peter Davis reacted. “We’re amazingly lucky to have these kids.”