School Committee Makes Decision on VO Swing-Space and Additional Classrooms

With everything the School Committee needed to finalize its decisions regarding the immediate future of the Vinson-Owen students.

There has been a long discussion as to where the students at Vinson-Owen will go while the new building is being built. The new school will be in a different location, however, a piece of the two buildings will cross paths where the current gymnasium is located.

The Committee officially decided that while construction is taking place, the students will spend the next two year (potentially beginning in September 2011) at the Parkhurst School.

"It would be very difficult to move forward with the preferred option and keep the current building as an operating school," said Superintendent William McAlduff. "There would be nowhere for the students to receive their wellness curriculum or have play-space for recess."

It was a decision that the Committee unanimously approved on Tuesday.

"I can't imagine having the children on the property for a number of safety reasons," said Committee chair Sarah Girotti. "If we use Parkhurst as swing space there are cost benefits to using it as well as time-saving advantages."

The Committee also needed to decide what to do with the future space at the school. In the design set forth by Brooke Trivas and Tappe Associates, the third floor of the building is pushed back from the front of the second-floor roof, creating a terrace on the third floor. However, the Committee unanimously to build up that space and hold it as an add-alternate to potentially build three more classrooms on the third floor.

"Our end goal is to provide a new, up-to-date building with 120 additional students," said McAlduff. "That number's going to come from increased kids from the district and redistricting. We all understand that a new Vinson-Owen school is going to alleviate the enrollment concerns in the district."

The concern the Committee had to weigh in determining the addition of the new school is how the town's enrollment numbers have been steadily increasing.

"We've been caught with buildings that have been undersized before," Girotti said.

In particular, Committee member, Sarah Swiger brought up the problem at the Ambrose school. A building that is three years old and at the time was built for 420 students is now at 500.

"For the taxpayers it's prudent that we build three schools at VO," Swiger said. "I'm not comfortable with schools at 500