The Everett School Committee approved two major school renovation/maintenance projects to take place this summer, with a combined price tag of more than $3 million. Both projects will take place during the summer months, when school is not in session, but one of the projects will require an early end to the school year for students.
The Webster School, which is home to the Everett School district’s preschool programs, serving mostly three and four year old children, will close on Friday, June 13 for the school year, so that construction crews can undertake a $2.5 million renovation that will include a new cafeteria for that school, a kitchen and a new conference space for faculty and staff.
According to Superintendent of Schools Frederick Foresteire, the construction contract has already been awarded, but the project is so large that in order to feel confident that they can complete the work before the start of the 2014-2015 school year, the construction company needs earlier access to the building.
Foresteire also noted that the building is listed on Mayor Carlo DeMaria’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for FY 2015, but added that the project will be financed out of the school cafeteria budget.
Teachers and staff from the school will be reassigned from the Webster School to other school buildings for the remainder of the school year, which ends district wide on Thursday, June 26.
The second less exciting project will be a new roof for the Sumner Whittier elementary school on Broadway.
According to a consultant from the firm Russo Barr Associates, the existing roof was installed on the building 20 years ago and is actually the second roof the school has had during its forty year life.
The current roof is a rubberized, insulated roof that is in need of replacement because of age and weathering. However, most of the underlying insulating material has been found to be in good condition and will not have to be replaced, which will help keep the cost of the project down.
The estimated cost of the new roof will be between $700,000 and $720,000, based on the final bids. The project is currently being advertised for construction bids, with the bidding process closing on June 5.
Superintendent Foresteire also noted that this project was also included in Mayor Carlo DeMaria’s 2015 CIP, and the city will pay for the new roof through the CIP Budget. The entire construction period will be included during the summer months when the school will be closed and the project is not expected to impact students or teachers at the Whittier School in any way.