Superintendent Stacy Scott on 980 WCAP
By admin on Feb 4, 2011 in Schools
The Superintendent of Dracut Schools, Dr. Stacy Scott joined us on AM 980 WCAP Saturday morning this last weekend (Feb the 5th) to talk about the new school project.
A local group has put together a website to advocate for the project, you can find it here
There’s still alot to consider, but after speaking with the Superintendent, I’m starting to feel a little better.
The key to me is looking to the future of education, and determining if what we are considering will fit those needs, or just need to be replaced in a short time.
Others will have their own issue to look at. In any case, get educated.
I’ve attached the audio of the interview with Sup Scott.
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Heather | Feb 7, 2011 | Reply
The website created for this project is a great resource to tap into to become educated on this topic.
In a nutshell, voting “no” will cost residents more and add nothing. Here’s a exerpt from the website:
Scenario 1—-DO NOTHING—Cost: $29 million
*The existing structure is 57 years old and in need of repairs and updates
*The conservative estimate to “keep up” the existing school is $29 million over the
next 25 years. Taxpayers will pay this with no state funding.
*During the next 25 years the building will continue to age and cost more to repair
Scenario 2—-VOTE YES ON MAY 2, 2011—Cost: $23 million
*Accept the state funding via the MSBA of $37 Million Dollars
*Add over 70,000 square feet of new space
*Add a new gym that will have an indoor track and adaptive physical education area
*Add a new auditorium that will seat 750 and be handicap accessible
*Add much needed science and technology labs
*Add wireless and school security infrastructure
*Utilize green building practices to help reduce energy costs
VOTE YES and save the town money while improving the school!
While no one plan will satisfy everyone’s desires or wish-lists 100%, this is a step in the right direction. It’s less expensive than doing nothing and we’ll get a return on our investment, whether it be an increase in the value of our homes, our children’s education, or both. Giving our children the tools they need to become 21st century learners is something we need to focus on immediately, and it is not achievable given the current infrastruture of our current high school.
Shawn | Feb 8, 2011 | Reply
Heather, the key here is education.. gotta be careful it doesnt sound like propaganda.
The $29 Mill cost of “doing nothing,” is an estimate. I’ve made the point to many that throwing estimates around is a mistake, because nobody believes them.
Last time they went to do the school renovation, it was “estimated” the population of the school would have gone up by 800 or so by now, instead it has stayed basically the same for over 10 years and shows no sign of significant increase.
Maintenance costs, spread over 25 years, can be done within the town and school capital budget, as they always have.
The renovated/new building, over 25 years, would also have significant maintenance costs.
Lets keep on target.
There are some great ideas that come along with the upgrade, all that tie into the future needs of education for our society.
I’m less than enthused with a gym, but understand it. I’m not greatly interested in a traditional library.. a school library these days is nothing compared to what is available in our cities and historical towns around us, much available online.
But the media center, designed to create access to data and curricula from around the world, and to provide interaction with students of all walks of life is a great idea (as long as it doesnt devolve into a myspace/facebook playroom as the public library often does).
New science and technology labs are key, as well as proper networking (and appropriate bandwidth.. what they have now is often useless). All of it must be flexible so that it can be modifed and redeployed over time as technology changes (without serious renovation costs).
There is not much green building here, other than improved air control and doors/windows.. and that is good. All the green technology out there right now is first generation and would just need to be replaced in a few years anyways as better technology comes forward. I’m glad we didn’t risk our money jumping into that quagmire.
The key to education for me is not the building, but the teachers and the curriculum. The facilities are an important help to that.
The future of the american workforce is going to be, for a long time, defined as those with an education and those without.
Large scale manufacturing has gone overseas to the cheaper workforces. You can’t fight that, there are 3 billion new workers added to the world economy since China, eastern europe and many others have joined the open free market. We can’t compete there.
Ours will be an economy based on ideas, inovation, and invention. Many of our products today are digital in nature, requiring little to no cost in mass production (but a lot to create).
Our kids need the sciences, math, geography/foreign language, research and presentation skills to exist in that new world.
If we’re going to be putting $60 million into this effort, lets make meeting those needs are our priorities.
Jeanne Balkas | Feb 8, 2011 | Reply
The learning environment IS a huge part of a student’s overall educational experience, and academic performance will be affected. In a global marketplace we cannot afford to fall behind and compromise education. First and foremost, our schools should be safe. Second, they should be equipped with the best education and technology available. Good school facilities are an important prerequisite for student learning, and outdated technologies can have a devastating effect on academic potential. In order for students to successfully compete with their peers, both in school and when they eventually enter the workforce, they need comprehensive knowledge of and access to new educational technologies, as well as infrastructure modernizations.
We often hear people say that our children are our future. If we want our children to excel, we have to provide them with an education system that is worthy of them. I understand the argument that a good teacher can teach anywhere. However, there is a direct correlation between the condition of a school facility and learning. The classroom is the most important area within a school. It is here that students spend most of their time, hopefully in an environment conducive and beneficial to learning.
Our schools along with our people are the biggest assets that our town has. People move to Dracut because of our rural character and our good quality schools. Businesses follow those people. We all benefit from good schools because they support our property values and they instill civic pride.
I can understand the sentiments of those who are on fixed incomes or who may otherwise be opposed to having their property taxes raised, but please keep in mind that short term gains can quickly and easily translate into long term losses. For instance, overall declines in property values are not just the result of the sagging real estate market, but because important facilities like schools are not improved. There are some costs that you cannot avoid. And if you choose to avoid them by refusing to fund them, you will find yourselves playing catch-up for a long time with significant negative consequences.
Dracut is a desirable place to live and invest in. We are strong and vibrant and our bond rating is excellent. Interest rates and construction costs are the lowest they’ll ever be. Do nothing and we will pay much more for much less. And a patchwork job means we’ll be paying considerably more to get it right ten years from now. As the old saying goes, you can pay me now or you can pay me later – but later is going to cost you a whole lot more.
Strong schools make for strong communities. Whether you care more about fiscal responsibility, supporting education or maintaining property values, this is a no brainer, and the availability of the state reimbursement makes right now the ideal time to move forward.