By Jarret Liotta
UPDATE A potential price tag of up to $70 million has officially turned an education-related problem into a townwide issue with news that Coleytown Middle School (CMS) — shut down in September by air quality issues — might have to be replaced.
Erik Kaeyer, principal of KG&D Architects, gives a presentation to the Board of Education tonight. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com
The Board of Education voted unanimously tonight to form a townwide ad hoc committee to include officials, parents, teachers and taxpayers without children in the schools to determine the best course of action and make a recommendation to the superintendent of schools.
It was a standing room-only crowd in the cafeteria at Staples High School, with well over 100 parents in attendance to hear the report from Mount Kisco, New York-based architectural consultant KG&D. Its representatives outlined extensive damage to the inside walls at CMS and a roof that is not properly draining water.
While it’s not official, there is evidence that the school — which is closed for the duration of the 2018-19 school year — would require at least another year or two for renovations, and up to five years if the town decides to build a new one.
KG & D gave a range from $25- to $35 million to renovate the structure, which was built in 1963 and later renovated during the 1990s.
Likewise, they proposed a potentially three-year-long “replacement project” that would range in cost from $60- to $70 million.
“That process would take a little bit longer to do,” said Erik Kaeyer, principal of the firm, and would include a year of planning and design, seeing completion in about 2022-23.
“We’d be looking at a new building on that campus,” he said.
“It’s a lot to swallow,” said Chairman Mark Mathias.
Erick Hong, a parent from Coleytown Middle School, drew big laughs when he confessed he “nearly peed my pants when I saw $70 million up there on that screen.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com
Extensive discussion followed on the formation of a townwide committee to investigate the options, with the board vacillating on whether to approve its formation tonight.
“In some ways we’re damned if we do and damned if we don’t,” Mathias said, noting they would be “accused of rushing things” in approving the committee, but blamed for “dragging your feet” if they put it off until the next meeting.
“It’s time to expand this … to a townwide perspective,” First Selectman Jim Marpe told the board, appearing in tandem with Lee Caney, representing the Board of Finance.
Marpe spoke of how, 10 years back, issues on mold affecting Kings Highway Elementary School caused strong consternation in town with regard to how they were addressed.
At the time the board, backing the then superintendent, resisted parental requests to get the town involved in finding solutions.
“How it was handled as a town I don’t think was as good as it could have been,” he said, serving on the school board himself at that time.
Marpe said it was important to do something of a peer review on the KG&D findings.
“I think we want to be comfortable that we’re sure we’ve heard all the alternatives,” he said. “I think the town overall needs that assurance.”
“It is not neglect that has led to this situation,” said Thomas Olam of KG&D, commending the school in terms of its maintenance and upkeep.
“It is nature taking its course on an assembly that was not built to handle these issues,” including poor drainage on the grounds due to grading.
“Water is getting into the wall system … Water is in the walls and saturating … creating a lot of bad conditions,” he said.
“There are no Band-Aids to put on this building to let it heal itself,” said Joe Reilly of KG&D.
He noted that two probes uncovered excessive amounts of rodent droppings in the walls, along with foul smells.
“We found some pretty horrible things inside these walls when we started to open them up,” he said.
“We were hoping to find something that was at a much lower price point,” Kaeyer said.
“It’s a lot of money and you should talk about it as a community,” he said.
At least one parent expressed disappointment with what he said appeared to be a foregone conclusion that the school required costly solutions.
“This is not the process that I expected,” said Jeff Benner, a Bedford Middle School (BMS) parent.
“Frankly I’m surprised by the whole context of this meeting,” he said. “I don’t really understand how we got here … I don’t feel like we were given an option.”
Erick Hong, a CMS parent, got a big laugh from the audience in sharing his reaction to the price tag of a new building.
“I nearly peed my pants when I saw $70 million up there on the screen,” he said.
But while he acknowledged it would be nice for his kids to get a new building, he said it was more important to look at the long-term solution in relation to investing in the future of the town and its children.
“There’s no perfect solution to this,” Caney said, noting that a committee would help assuage public discontent.
Various parents in the meeting spoke on behalf of many different issues, including how tenable the current situation is with CMS sixth and seventh grade students attending BMS.
One mother gave an especially emotional statement regarding how her son with special needs has been intensely impacted by the disruption.
“For him all of these negative experiences have a cumulative effect on his mental state,” she said.
“This is a community decision,” Superintendent of Schools Colleen Palmer said on behalf of the new committee.
“I think it’s a great way to involve all the stakeholders,” she said.
