School expansion is touted
Thompson hears post-concert plea
By Pam Howell Correspondent
THOMPSON. Family members and friends gathered at Tourtellotte Memorial High School on Dec. 22 for a holiday concert featuring the concert band, concert choir, chamber singers and jazz band. The concert was held in the high school gym since the school does not have an auditorium that would accommodate performers and visitors.
After the concert, a plea was made by Choral Director Christine Leary, Music Director Jason Bielik and David Kress, president of the Friends of Music organization, for Thompson residents to vote in favor of renovations and expansion of the school at the March 1 referendum.
The town is growing and the school population is growing. We need to provide our students with the facilities and technology which are necessary for a quality education, said Ms. Leary, a Thompson native and graduate of Tourtellotte High School.
Proposed plans include new construction consisting of approximately 90,000 square feet and approximately 200,000 square feet of renovation. These changes would add seven new elementary school classrooms, six middle school classrooms and four high school classrooms. Also included in the plans is an auditorium that will hold 600 students, an early childhood center and a cafeteria for the elementary school.
Currently, there is no cafeteria for the elementary school. Students must walk to the middle school to purchase their lunch and then carry it back to their classrooms in the elementary school, where they eat at their desks.
The proposed plans also call for installing a sprinkler system, relocation of the baseball field, increased parking, fencing, redesigning the traffic pattern to improve traffic safety and repair or replacement of an existing roof that is more than 20 years old.
The total number of students attending the three schools is 1,506. The New England School Development Council (NESDEC) performed demographic studies and projected an increase in enrollment by 8.5%, or a total of 128, by the year 2008.
Jody Houghton, a parent who heads a committee for passage of bond issues, also urged passage of the referendum.
Town growth is exceeding school building space. Classrooms are at their maximum and some teachers are "floaters", which means they have no classroom at all, she said. We need an auditorium where the community can gather for student and cultural events. Modern facilities such as science labs are badly needed, which will allow for increased student performance. There are no extravagant requests, just necessities.
The report of the School Building Study Committee, dated Nov. 13, 2003, stated that it appears demand for housing in Thompson will remain strong throughout the next decade. It cites positive factors such as job growth in Rhode Island and Massachusetts with access to I-395 making it an easy commute to various cities: 48 miles to Hartford, 30 miles to Providence, 22 miles to Worcester, 44 miles to MetroWest Boston/Framingham, 40 minutes to T.F. Green Airport and an hour to Bradley Airport.
Preliminary costs for design, construction and renovation of the school buildings are estimated at $22.2 million for the state?s share, and an estimated town share of $12.8 million. The total estimated project cost is $35 million. The architectural firm of Fletcher & Thompson performed the redesign work and provided the estimate.
Reaction to this proposed building project has been very favorable, said David Johnson, chairman of the school building committee.
Out of approximately 70 people who attended one particular town meeting about the building project, only one person voiced an objection, citing an increase in taxes as the reason. Regarding the effect the passage of this proposed project would have on property taxes for Thompson residents, School Building Study Committee Chairman David Johnson said, The reassessment was just completed in October. Until the new grand list is formulated and issued in late February or March, we can't estimate the effect on the tax rate.
Building Committee member James Naum, who no longer has children in the Thompson school system, said the project needs to be supported.
I realize there may be an increase in property taxes, but this project is something that is long overdue, he said.
Voting will be conducted between noon and 8:00 p.m. March 1 at Thompson Town Hall, 815 Riverside Drive. Absentee ballots will be available from the Town Clerk's office.
The Thompson School Building Committee meeting schedule is as follows:
Jan. 10: Board of Education, approval of building project, 7:00 p.m.
Jan. 11: Inland Wetlands Commission, Town Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 18: Board of Selectman meeting, Town Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 20: Board of Finance, Library Community Center, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 24: Planning and Zoning Commission, Town Hall, 7 p.m.
Feb. 7: regular meeting of Building Committee, Middle School Library , 6 p.m.
Feb.15: public hearing and Town Meeting, time and place to be announced.
Feb.16: regular meeting of Building Committee, Middle School Library, 6 p.m.