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PASSED! Support the Rockland Middle School Building Project

Town Meeting - May 5, 2008
Rockland High School 

The Rockland SOS Committee cordially invites you to:

Town Meeting

May 5, 2008

7:00

Rockland High School

Although Question #1 passed by an overwhelming margin on April 12th our work is not done to get the funds for the new Middle School study.  We must pass Article #9 at Town Meeting to insure funding for this study.

The sequence of events for Question 1 has been reversed.  Usually the town meeting vote is first but in this instance the ballot question came first.  This was done to take advantage of the town election and avoid the cost (about $10,000) of a special election after town meeting.

The law in Massachusetts requires any property tax increase be approved at a general election and town meeting.  My understanding is that this procedure is a form of checks and balances.  It allows residents to fully understand what increases are being proposed.

I fully understand how busy everyone is with all spring sports in full swing, First Communion/Confirmation season and upcoming graduation but please make every effort to attend Town Meeting.  We can not take it for granted that everyone else will come and pass Article #9.  Please go on the premise that your vote does count and that we need you there, we must have as much support as possible.  Too much support is the goal; let’s continue to show the leaders of Rockland that we stand firmly behind the efforts of The Rockland School Building Committee.

Please forward this e-mail to all Rockland residents in your address book.  We all must begin to invest in Rockland!!!

Julie Shields
General Chairman
Rockland SOS Committee

I am sure most of you have heard but Question 1 passed by huge margin, 2245 yes - 810 no.  We are well on the way to a new middle school.  Our next challenge is town meeting, May 5, 2008, 7:00 at the High School.  We need to get the vote there also.  Please come out and support us at Town Meeting.

I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of you who got out and voted to support us.  My heart felt thanks to all of the volunteers that helped out yesterday!  You all made the day go smoothly!!!  Everything that needed to be done got done.  My special thanks to those of you who put everything on hold yesterday to get this done, you know who you are and I thank you!!  I am forever in your debt for making this day easy for me!  I also want to thank the family members, spouses and friends that took charge of your children to make things easy for you.  We all came together when we needed to and got this done!!!!   THANK YOU!!!!

I know I do not have every e-mail address so please forward this thank you to every one.

Hope to see you at Town Meeting!!!!  More information to follow about Town Meeting and our next steps!!!

Congratulation to Mike and Debbie.  Good Job and thank you both for your support on this issue.

Julie Shields
General Chairman
Rockland SOS Committee

On March 3, 2008 the Rockland Selectmen unanimously passed a motion by the Rockland School Building Committee for a ballot question and Town Meeting warrant article that would allow for a one year capital exclusion to fund a “feasibility study” for the new middle school.  The cost of this study is estimated by the state to be $655,200.  The state will reimburse 55%, which means the maximum amount the taxpayers would pay is $294,840.

What will this cost the Rockland taxpayer?

                                    $46.50 per household for one year-$3.88 a month

                                    $4.21 per household in Leisure Woods for one year

What will Rockland get for our money?

            Investigative work at the site:

·         Site topographic survey/Geotechnical exploration

·         Groundwater infiltration study

·         Site environmental/hazardous material study

·         Neighborhood traffic study

Programming/design work:     

·         Educational programming (how many classrooms, what size, what programs etc.)

·         Design options (site for school, link to high school? etc.)

·         Floor plans/Exterior elevation

·         Exterior 3D image

·         Outline specifications

·         Project costs

At the end of the study we will have schematic designs and a cost of the project that the state would agree to fund.

In addition, the feasibility study costs include the costs of hiring an Owners Project Manager.  The position is mandated by state construction laws.  The OPM is the construction expert overseeing the project on behalf of the town from the beginning to the end of the project.

How long will the study take?

                                    The feasibility study will take six to nine months.

What happens if this ballot question is not approved?

                                    If this project is not funded it will be terminated!                        

Distributed by the Save Our School Committee

 

 

From Julie Shieilds - S.O.S. Chairperson

 I want to spend a few moments to give you all an update on the progress Rockland has made on the Middle School-High School Building project.  The Rockland School Building Committee (RSBC) has submitted all of the necessary paperwork to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).  Rockland was one of 15 towns involved in a pilot program the MSBA established to fine tune the review process for potential building projects.  This pilot program does not guarantee project approval but it does keep Rockland in the minds of the MSBA members.  We have had two visits from the state to review the conditions of our schools.  The committee conducting the reviews is made up of building professionals; engineers, mechanical engineers and architects to name a few.  During the first visit in July all of the schools were inspected by a group of 12 professionals.  This visit was conducted to determine if the greatest need in Rockland was indeed a new middle school and renovated high school.  The second visit in August concentrated on the middle school and high school.  Right now we are in a waiting game.  The state needs to get back to us before the SOS Committee can go forward. 

Rumors

The newest rumor out there is that we will hear by November 2nd.  I have talked to a couple of people who would be privy to this information and can not get conformation of this date.  We will know if it is true on November 2nd.  I have also heard that the state plans on developing a “short list” of towns to meet with to determine if all of the “powers that be” (selectmen, school committee members & finance committee members) are willing to publicly back the project 100%.  The feeling is that if the town leaders do not completely back the project the state will not finance our project.  Why should the state invest in a town if the leaders are not willing to?   This may or may not be true but lets hope if it is we make that list and make sure that all of our leaders back this project 110%.  We must remember that we need this project as a town not just for our children.     

Possibilities

If Rockland ’s project is chosen by the MSBA, the RSBC then works with the state to develop a plan to best address the needs of the town.  This plan will be agreed upon by both parties and funded in part by the state.  The plan set forth by RSBC may be used as a guide but will probably not be followed completely.  The state and Rockland must come together to develop a plan that addresses our concerns and meets the requirements of our children.  

We also may face only getting a part of our project funded at this time.  This will be addressed by the RSBC if it comes to pass.  The same collaboration with the state as stated above holds true for this situation also.

 The worst case scenario for Rockland is that our project is not chosen by the state.  If this happens, the RSBC will retool and resubmit our letters of intent again next year.  If this comes to be the SOS Committee will decide what to do with the funds raised.  The choices are; holding on to the money for next year or giving it to the schools for special requests.   

 Questions

A number of questions have come my way over the past few weeks.  The most common question is about the cost to the town.  This can not be answered until a firm plan is developed with the state and the state tells us how much of the cost of the project they will cover.  Rockland can get anywhere from 40% to 80% of the cost from the state.  It will be at this time that the cost to the town can be firmed up and published to everyone.  

 Grade alignment is also being questioned.  We will not know the answer to this until the RSBC works with the state to develop a plan.  There are a number of thoughts and ideas about this topic out there.  The biggest issue is whether to move the 5th grade back to the middle school or to move the kindergarten there to accommodate a possible full day program in the future.  The plan I like (keep in mind this is my own opinion, not the opinion of the committee) is to build the middle school for grades 5 through 8 with separate wings, 5th and 6th on one side with 7th and 8th on another.  This will free up the space in the elementary schools to bring the kindergarten classes back to each school.  The Superintendent of schools, Mr. John Retchless, made a great point at a recent School Committee meeting; he said that we really need to determine who would benefit more from a new state of the art facility with state of the art equipment, 5th graders or kindergarteners?  Ask yourself this and let me know what you think.  Mr. Retchless’s statement is what brought it home for me.  I am also basing my opinion on the fact that my son was in the fist year of the centralized kindergarten and I did not like it, this is stated with no disrespect to Jefferson School teachers, administration or families.  I have two older children at Memorial Park and was already firmly entrenched there; I felt no connection to Jefferson School that year.  I am sure that would have been different if all of my children were at Jefferson .

 The timing of the whole process has also been questioned.  Once again we are at the mercy of the state.  We have no clear view of when approvals will be published.  Once we are approved (hopefully) and the plan has been agreed upon by the state and Rockland we have 120 days to get the issue of the debt exclusion to a special town meeting and to the ballot box.  This is where the rubber hits the road for the SOS Committee.  We will have to be out in force those 120 days; getting the word out via flyers, lawn signs, phone calls etc.  We need to get people to the special town meeting to vote to get it on the ballot and more importantly we need to get people to support us at the polls.  

Please contact me if you have any questions, ideas or want to volunteer in any way. julery62@aol.com  

Once again thank you for your time and I hope to see you at our next meeting.