Old Central lease approved
Published on February 11th, 2004
STONEHAM, MA - School Committee member Daniel Moynihan announced at last week's meeting that he will not seek re-election to the board in April.
Moynihan said that his decision not to run again has been a difficult one but that he is very proud of the accomplishments the board has made during his three years of service, including the finalizing of the school building program which watched the last two schools in the project open their new doors this past September, as well as establishment of a Stoneham High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Moynihan also served as Committee Chairman during his tenure.
"Dan, you have been a very productive member. Thank you for three very productive years," said
School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Connelly said.
Committee Chairman Marc Grimaldi also thanked Moynihan for his service, calling him a very stable, very solid board member.
Moynihan told the Independent that a desire to focus more on family and business obligations led him to his decision, but that he plans on staying active in town.
"I've enjoyed it immensely," he said, adding "At this point, between my business and my children, I need to step away for a short time, but I want to thank the people of Stoneham for their support...And you never know, I may come back for something in the future."
Old Central School
While the town of North Reading undertakes a rebuilding program of its Batchelder School, it now has to find out how to get its 400 displaced students to Stoneham each morning.
The School Committee held a public hearing on Thursday to discuss renting out the old Central School building to the town of North Reading for a two year period so that Batchelder School students have a place of their own to learn in while they await reopening of their school.
Stoneham has successfully rented two of its other school buildings that no longer serve as Stoneham public elementary schools. The North and East School buildings are both leased by the SEEM Collaborative and the rental revenue, approximately $100,000 from each per year, is used as a direct offset to school operating budget.
In order to make use of the old Central School building as well as to generate additional revenue in these difficult times, the School Committee is now in negotiations with North Reading to finalize a lease agreement that will include similar conditions that the existing two leases contain, including holding the lessee responsible for upkeep and maintenance of the buildings..
The lease also restricts long term on-street parking and any work done to the building without approval from the town. Town Counsels from both communities have reportedly approved the insurance coverage. The playground and basketball court on site will remain available for public use. The hours of operation are outlined as 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a limited number of nights per year allowed for school functions. In addition, Batchelder School officials indicated that appropriate signage will be in place to identify the school..
While not final, it is expected that the lease with North Reading will generate about $125,000 per year. North Reading is expected to utilize the entire first and second floors, as well as a portion of the third floor and basement. Central School furniture will put in stored in the building's basement as North Reading will bring their own.
"This is an unbelievable undertaking...We simply have no place in our community to house these children," said North Reading School Superintendent David Trotten.
While North Reading school administrators and parents continue to work out the details of the move and the logistics of getting the school population to town each day for the next two years, as well as address all of Stoneham's concerns, Trotten said that the educational welfare and safety of 400 plus students is their first priority.
North Reading is also exploring Stoneham's half time Kindergarten schedule with one half and two full days as something it might want to adopt, a schedule that would also make transportation easier.
Batchelder School Principal Sean Killeen expressed his gratitude to Stoneham for the opportunity to keep his school population together.
"I look forward to being able to be a very good neighbor in the town and working with the community to make sure that everything goes very smoothly. We are very excited about out building project and look forward to getting back there real soon but we're very appreciative to have the opportunity to rent the space to keep everyone together."
Gerald Venezia, Chairman of the North Reading School Committee said he too is happy with the space Stoneham can provide.
"We're very comfortable with the Central School...We're very pleased to have the kids come down to a community like Stoneham."
Among the audience's concerns were start and dismissal times, as well as added traffic in the area. Connelly and Trotten estimated that eight or nine buses will transport Batchelder students to Stoneham each day, and while parents will have the option of driving their children instead, both stated that the majority of families are expected to take advantage of bus service. The bus route is being explored currently, with a North Reading representative driving to Stoneham each morning, experimenting with various routes to find the one that works best for the students and community.
The Batchelder School day is expected to run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. which, according to Connelly, should work very well with Stoneham's earlier school day.
"We don't anticipate the level of traffic will quite honestly reach where it has been for many years in that neighborhood," he said.
Once the deal is finalized, North Reading is expected to begin it lease as early as this month, but staff and students are not expected until late summer and September, respectively.
Other concerns raised had to do with the building's historical significance to the town of Stoneham.
The Stoneham Historical Society weighed in on the issue of the stately old building and member Marcia Wengen said that while the old Central School is not on the state or national register of historical places, "it really is a town treasure."
In its 103 year history, Wengen pointed out, this past September was the first time that the building remained empty on the first day of school.
"We're thrilled with the idea that you're hopefully coming. We ask that you to treat it with the respect and care that you would if it was in your town."
Historical Society President Bee Russo summarized the building's history for the North Reading officials, explaining that from 1858 to 1899, that location was the William Street Cemetery. At the turn of the century, the bodies were moved to Lindenwood Cemetery and construction began on Stoneham High School, which opened to students in 1901 and served as such until 1955. The building then served as the Junior High School and later as Central Elementary School.
"We're very much in favor or recycling this building again," Russo said.
Trotten said that North Reading shares Stoneham's interest in preserving the building since the Batchelder School is also an historic building that the town chose to renovate rather than replace.
"We are pleased with the sense of welcoming that we've felt in the community of Stoneham."
School Lunches
Stale lunches just won't cut the mustard anymore according to Stoneham Public School's new Food Service Director Dennis Dockham.
Dockham has been at the helm of the school food service program for about two weeks now and already has lots of ideas for injecting more excitement and taste into Stoneham school cafeterias.
Dockham brings with him experience in the both the private and public sector, having worked for a private company that provided the food program of the City of Winthrop.
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