By, Michelle L. Santoro
Sherman – The Sherman School Building Committee (“SBC”) held three (3) community forums and conducted two (2) tours of the school for interested residents. The first two forums and tours were held at the Sherman School on August 30 and September 9; the third forum, only, was held at the firehouse in Charter Hall on September 19 at 7:00 p.m.
SBC Chair Kerry Merkel kicked off the hour-long presentation on September 9 by welcoming all in attendance on a Saturday morning before introducing SBC Member and Board of Education (“BOE”) Chair Matt Vogt who, with a large screen behind him, reviewed the SBC’s presentation, previously presented to the BOE and the Board of Selectmen at a collaborative meeting earlier in August, and presented again at the first community forum on August 30.
The Highlights
Mr. Vogt summarized the three (3) education option models considered by the BOE – “Keep what we have,” “Local PK-5,” and “No local school.”
Representatives from Antinozzi Associates (“Antinozzi”) and CES Consulting Engineering Services (“CES”) were in attendance to review the interconnected challenges that must be addressed together. They are, (i) the failing HVAC system components, (ii) water system upgrades and replacements, (iii) electrical system upgrades, (iv) multiple “building envelope” issues, and (v) poorly engineered and coordinated roofing systems.
SBC and BOE Member Tim Laughlin provided a brief recap of the seven (7) options analyzed and considered by the SBC and reviewed financing costs for the project and how it gets paid. Previously, the BOS acting as the Town’s Board of Finance (“BOF”) determined financing the project over 20-years was preferred to a 30-year option. Michael LoSasso, a principal at Antinozzi, then reviewed various plans for the preferred option chosen by the SBC and accepted by the BOE. He also revealed photos of current and proposed views of the new main entrance, the school at the intersection of Routes 37 & 39, the rear 1970’s addition/replacement addition, and the rear of the building at Sawmill Road (the ‘90s addition). LoSasso then highlighted the different phasing plans.
Previously noted as important by BOS members Joel Bruzinski and Bob Ostrosky, using visuals, Mr. Laughlin discussed the impact of financing the project on property taxes. A question-and-answer session followed the presentation. A parent of three former Sherman students thanked the SBC for its presentation saying it was very helpful. She then questioned the SBC about its growth projections. Mr. Laughlin answered, noting the proposed renovation was devised to accommodate between 18, at a minimum, to 24 students, at a maximum – acknowledging that the maximum number of students is not what Sherman is traditionally accustomed to, but the district must be prepared in the event there is an influx of families with children and/or a growth in housing in Sherman.
Stephanie Warren questioned the financial assumptions, and wondered what happens if bidding prices are higher than anticipated. Mr. Laughlin answered, assuring those in attendance that great care was taken to arrive at numbers for project costs and Mr. LoSasso advised that a professional estimator – who works with schools in Connecticut – was utilized before presenting project costs to the public.
Another resident expressed his concern over the cost, and interest, and questioned whether building a new school – rather than renovating the current one – was considered. His quick calculation, based on the number of tax-paying households in Sherman, estimates each household ends up paying $30,000 toward financing of the proposed project. He asked, “Why not build a new school and save a bunch of money?” The SBC responded by noting that the building of a new school might be less costly IF the school was being built for PK-5 and each grade had just one class, but for the current composition of the school, building a new school is not significantly less costly than the current proposed renovation project. Mr. Laughlin further noted that when polled, residents who answered preferred renovation to new construction, and a cursory analysis – which was required for the state application – revealed that new construction would cost as much, if not more, than the proposed renovation project. “The fact of the matter is, it’s not that we didn’t consider it, its that when you start considering it, it’s not the sensible approach to take when considering all the other factors,” Mr. Vogt said when explaining why a renovation of the current building was preferred over the building of a new school.
To view a video recording of the September 9 forum visit shermanschool.com and go to About Us > School Building Committee > Presentations; to see the proposed floor plans go to Documents > Schematic Designs; and, to learn more about tax impacts go to Documents > Tax Impacts Analysis.
A tentative Town Meeting about the school renovation proposal is scheduled for Saturday, September 30 at 10:00 am at a TBD location. A tentative referendum is scheduled for Saturday, October 10 from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm at the firehouse in Charter Hall.