Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, School Superintendent Daniel Warwick, Members of the School Committee, Executive Director of Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management Patrick J. Sullivan, Chief Administrative and Financial Officer Timothy J. Plante and Director of Capital Asset Peter Garvey toured school buildings throughout the morning.
With funding from both the City and Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), the City will be investing over $7.4 million dollars in renovation over the course of this summer through the fall of 2017. The City and School Department recently completed an additional $12 million in HVAC energy upgrades. The work has been part of a school renovation plan set in place by Mayor Sarno and School Committee eight years ago.
Mayor Sarno stated, “We have aging buildings and we do not want the mistakes of the past repeated. I believe if we keep our buildings envelop sound by replacing windows and roofs in a timely manner we will protect the integrity of our buildings for another fifty years. It is a wise investment.”
“I have worked closely with Mayor Sarno and Patrick Sullivan over the past eight years. We have taken many trips to Boston to present our plans and we have been heard, as over $400 million dollars in school funding has been appropriated for both renovations and new school construction,” said Superintendent Warwick. “Our goal is to ensure every school building is viable and provides a comfortable learning and teaching environment. We are getting close to our goal for every building and look forward to completing a five year building master plan for our next set of projects.”
“It has been gratifying to see the results from the work completed over the past eight years. Our past efforts have dealt with the school infrastructure and therefore are not always immediately visible. Now we are improving the classrooms and the overall school environment. The work being completed, combined with improved maintenance products, is assisting in removing asthma triggers from the classroom environment. There is great energy in place from the Mayor, the State House, City Council and School Committee and by everyone working together we will complete our five year school plan on time and on budget,” said Patrick Sullivan.
CAFO T.J. Plant stated, “The city has made great strides over the past eight years and everyone’s hard work is resulting in school buildings that are safer and energy efficient. I look forward to completing the remaining targeted school projects over the next three years.“
“The work being completed is imperative in improving the overall integrity of our school buildings. Our partnership with the MSBA in securing long term investments of our facilities will protect these structures and increase the useful life by another 35-50 years. The positive outcome in our work is the improvement to the overall health of the class room and learning environment,” added Peter Garvey.