VNA leaves Beacon Street, Supt. Hires two administrators, school construction continues...
Published on August 9th, 2000
Stoneham, MA. - VNA moves out
After years of neighborhood complaints, the Visiting Nurse Association of Middlesex-East is leaving Beacon Street.
Last Friday, Aug. 4, VNA spokesperson Chris Hawrylak announced that the VNA will move out of the former East School at 12 Beacon Street on Sept. 29, 2000.
The School Committee and selectmen are left with the question, "What now?"
The VNA is moving to space in the Lakeside Office Park in Wakefield and will continue to serve the same 28 communities, including Stoneham.
On Sept. 29, according to Hawrylak, the bulk of the operation will move to Wakefield. She said that some staffers will stay behind to clean out the Beacon Street building, but promised that everyone and everything would be out by Oct. 31, the last day of the VNA's lease with the Stoneham School Department.
At the July 25 selectmen's meeting, the board formed a committee, against the opposing vote of Selectman Cosmo Ciccarello, to investigate possible future uses of the East School.
Representatives of Stoneham Little League were present. Town Administrator Jeff Nutting said he had spoken in March with Little League organizers about space in the East School.
Beacon Street resident Alexander Janko said that he wanted the neighbors to determine the fate of the East School.
"I don't think anybody should be allowed on the committee that isn't a (East School neighborhood) resident," Janko said.
Selectman Leahy did not agree.
"I'm the second closest abutter," said Leahy, a resident of 11 Beacon St. "(The board's) intent is, if the building is going to be vacant, to look at all possibilities."
Janko said he wants the use to conform to Residence A zoning, which allows single family homes, churches, schools and municipal buildings.
Selectmen Chairman Pat Jordan said that the purpose of the committee is to look into possible reuse of the site. The building could even be torn down, Janko and Leahy agreed.
More important, the selectmen have no control over the building.
After the VNA lease expires the School Department regains control of the East School property. But, as of this week, the School Committee has announced no future plans for the site.
New administrators
Dr. Joseph Connelly is hashing out contractual details with two new administrators who will help the Superintendent run the Stoneham schools.
The names are not public and salaries not final, but two new folks are coming aboard at a total cost of $137,000 a year.
A search committee led by Connelly narrowed a group of 26 applicants for the positions of Administrator of Finance and School Operations and Assistant Facilities Manager to seven and then two.
"Both candidates are outstanding," said School Committee Chairwoman Jeanne Craigie. The committee met and questioned the prospective employees last week.
Connelly said that, due to the qualifications of the applicants, the jobs offered have evolved into two administrative roles: a finance manager and a facilities manager. But Connelly emphasized that the administrators would work together much more than in the old arrangement.
"We used to have a business manager (Don Simpson - resigned) and someone in charge of the facilities (Frank Angelosanto - retired) working separately, but we are going to merge the roles," Connelly said. "Having the positions work together should better serve the community."
Increased accountability, organization and, thus, efficiency and economy are the goals the Superintendent hopes his new leadership team can meet.
Construction continues
The South School on Main Street is ready for action.
"I don't anticipate any problems," Connelly said.
General Contractor AMG of Stoughton told Superintendent Connelly that the punch list of loose ends would be tied by Aug. 15.
Teachers have already brought in most of their supplies and will return to set up their classrooms on Sept. 1. The kids will begin on Sept. 7.
The South School is the first of four elementary schools Stoneham has received approval to build with 63 percent reimbursement from the Massachusetts School Building Assistance Bureau.
Alexandra Construction of Newton is clearing brush and trees from the Central Street site of school number two, the Central School.
Crews began removing contaminated soil from the railroad right-of-way behind the school site on Monday, Aug. 7. The contaminated soil will be stored temporarily at the Stevens Street dump before transfer to an approved site.
Removal of contaminated soil will take place during the month of August while students at the adjacent Middle School at 101 Central Street are on vacation.
To avoid contaminated dust form spreading to the Middle School, the school's ventilation system has been shut down and windows closed.
Connelly said work in the contaminated area behind the school site would only proceed while school is out.
"If remediation of the soil is not complete by September, we will have to stop, fence the area, and continue...maybe next summer," Connelly said.
The town is responsible for the remediation because the contamination is on town property. But for now the School Department will cover the cost as additional removal under their per unit soil removal agreement with Alexandra.
Nutting hopes that the soil removal will be reimbursed under the SBAB program. Then the town will pay the school the difference.
Students left back
Stoneham public schools rank 215 out of 299 schools surveyed by the Associated Press in the increase of per pupil funding from 1993 (the start of state Education Reform) to 1999.
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