Once Stoughton school officials gets the OK for a new high school from the Massachusetts School Building Authority this morning in Boston, they will get down to the business of moving the project forward.
Tuesday, though, was a day for celebrating getting on the agenda for a new high school. State Sen. Brian Joyce, State Reps. Louis Kafka and Bill Galvin attended the school committee meeting to announce the next steps in the process. They were also thanked by the school committee for their help in getting the project in front of the Massachusetts School Building Authority.
"This is a big, big deal, 10s and 10s of millions of dollars to the town of Stoughton," said Sen. Brian Joyce,
He pointed out the positive affects of having new or rebuilt schools have helped out other towns in his district, including the building of new schools in his hometown of Milton. Joyce said Milton was on the verge of losing its accreditation and young families were deciding to relocate elsewhere.
"We ended up with taxpayer support and got all new schools," said Joyce. "There was a dramatic change in the face of the town. We saw the same thing happen in Sharon and Easton."
Joyce pointed out the value of homes will go up with a new school and that the town will save money on maintenance of the buildings.
After today's meeting, the school committee will be appointing a school building committee and taking several steps to get the project moving towards building a new high school.
The first step will be form a committee where will include town manager Michael Hartman, Stoughton High principal Juliette Miller, school committee chairman Joyce Husseini, building director Joel Harding, some familiar with the school facility, individuals involved in architecture, construction and electricial work.
"Stoughton is at first base," said Joyce." There is a lot of work to be done on your end."
Working with the school building authority, the town will have 270 days to get project ready to go.
"This is totally enough time," said Stoughton school superintendent Marguerite Rizzi. "They (the building authority) have it down to a science.
'It helps that they have been through it several times."
The first step will be form a committee where will include town manager Michael Hartman, Stoughton High principal Juliette Miller, school committee chairman Joyce Husseini, Joel Harding, the director of maintenance and operations, some familiar with the school facility, individuals involved in architecture, construction and electrical work.
School committee member Deborah Sovinee has been chairing the feasibility study committee. They will be meeting one more time before dissolving in favor of the new committee.
Joyce said he was confident that Stoughton would be able to see the project to the future, citing the commitment and support the town has already received from the town meeting vote and all the letters that were sent to elected officials.
'The school building committee is a very serious board," said Joyce. "You have bring the project in on time and on budget. It is a shared effort. I'm confident it can be done."
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