School Committee member Cindy Sullivan, Westfield School Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski, Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan and Ward Two City Councilor and Council School Liaison Ralph Figy announce the next steps for a new elementary school. (Photo by Amy Porter)
WESTFIELD – Mayor Brian P. Sullivan, Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski, City Councilor and school liaison Ralph J. Figy and School Committee vice-chair Cindy Sullivan announced on Wednesday that after meeting with the Massachusetts School Building Authority, the district will be withdrawing its application for the model school on Ashley Street, and starting over with a new school project.
The letter to the MSBA, signed by the Mayor and Superintendent, was mailed on Wednesday and asked that the approved Westfield project replacing Abner Gibbs Elementary School be withdrawn from future MSBA consideration. The letter read:
“As you know, this project has been delayed by legal challenges since 2012. Since that time the District has actively worked to utilize our existing resources to provide appropriate facilities for educational purposes. The School Committee has recently acted to redistrict, and this action has allowed the students who have been out of district in Russell to return to Westfield.
“Westfield remains committed to building a new elementary school or renovating an existing elementary school which will provide much needed access to the technology and classroom space needed. Given the time lapse, redistricting and new enrollment numbers, we believe that a fresh Statement of Interest is in the best interest of Westfield students.”
Representatives from the MSBA called Mayor Sullivan last week, and told him that their projections for enrollment in the new elementary school were lower than the 400 students that Westfield projected, lowering it to 300 to 320. They also recommended to the Mayor that the city withdraw its application for the model school.
Sullivan said MSBA did recommend that Westfield still build a new school or an addition onto one of the existing schools.
“It’s better that we start over. There’s no question that we need to close Abner Gibbs,” said Cindy Sullivan, adding that this decision could not have been made in 2012, and was also impacted by pulling the fifth graders out of the elementary schools beginning in September.
Westfield Public Schools Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski (WNG file photo)
“Our needs are different,” said Czaporowski.
“However, the area the school needs to be in hasn’t changed,” added Mayor Sullivan. “What came out of the MSBA meetings is don’t change your plan, but you don’t need a 400 student school,” he said. MSBA said it is up to Westfield whether to build a new school on Ashley Street, or renovate and add an addition on an existing school.
Czaporowski said planning for the new elementary school began in 2009, and today the numbers are different. “We know we need a new school downtown,” he said.
“Our enrollment is different, our needs are different, our buildings are older,” added the Mayor.
Ward Two Councilor Ralph J. Figy
Renovating Franklin Avenue will be one of the possible subjects of a feasibility study that the city plans to undertake with the MSBA. “The feasibility study is the next step to determine what we are going to do. Build or add on, we don’t know,” said Figy.
Mayor Sullivan said this is a brand new situation for MSBA as well, which he said has never gotten to a point that a lawsuit stopped a building project. He said the MSBA will help them through the process.
“At least we know we’re out of the stagnant mode and moving forward,” Czaporowski said.
Meanwhile, the city and the School Committee have a tight timeline to submit a new Statement of Interest (SOI) to MSBA to be considered for this year, with a deadline of April 6. Subsequently, the SOI will go to the City Council at Thursday’s meeting, and will be referred to the Legislative & Ordinance sub-committee, which Figy chairs. The School Committee will then vote on the SOI at its meeting on Monday, March 19. The City Council will then vote on April 5 on a resolution to authorize the Superintendent to submit the SOI for renovations and an addition to the Franklin Avenue School. Mayor Sullivan said the MSBA needs City Council approval.
The SOI for Franklin Avenue Elementary School states that an application may be submitted to the MSBA in the future to address the priorities of “preventing overcrowding, and the replacement and addition to an obsolete building in order to provide for a full range of programs consistent with state and approved local requirements.”
Some of the work that needs to be done at Franklin includes a new roof, more classroom space, new boiler, new floors, and replacement of the annex with a new addition, according to Czaporowski.
“What we’re trying to do is what’s best for students,”
Westfield School Committee member Cindy Sullivan. (WNG file photo)
said. “It’s always been our goal to give the kids downtown what they deserve, an updated facility.” Sullivan also said that everything gets put back on the table, including the Ashley Street location.
School Committee member Ramon Diaz, Jr. texted his support for the project. “With the new information we received from the latest study, it is clear that we need changes from the original design. The reasons to build a new school have not changed; however, at this point it makes sense to put all options back on the table, and re-evalate what is the best option for our children and our city,” Diaz wrote.
“We’re looking at everything – everything is fair game,” Figy added.
“Our hope is that the School Committee and the City Council works in harmony on a project that everyone can support,” Cindy Sullivan added.
