BCSD Renovation Project Forum

by Andrew Zlotnick
At a much better attended meeting at the Berlin Elementary School on Tuesday night than the last meeting on November 16, the residents of the Berlin School District heard a more thorough presentation by the school administration detailing the proposed $19,705 million building project. CS Arch, the architectural firm hired by the District, presented some overviews and details of the $19,705 million dollar building project. Berney Donegan of BPD Inc. explained in length the financial model for bonding and funding the project.
Once the presentations were concluded the floor was opened to question and occasional comments. One by one interested community members voiced their concerns and opinions. Members of the audience at times became excited and somewhat loud as they made point after point concerning the scope and cost of the building project.  One community member said, “We aren’t against repairing the building for health and safety, we just want all the other extravagant expenses separated out.”  Concerns were raised about future costs, about the lack of maintenance in the past throughout the District and about the cost of this project depleting funds for needed instructional programs. Another community member stated, “It would seem that we have been approving school budgets over the years and very little of my taxes were spent on maintenance.” Another echoed those statements and added, “It would seem that a lot of the work required could and should be done by maintenance staff.” Another said, “I’ll paint the building myself; the costs are ridiculous.”
These comments were met by sharp criticism from the committee persons on the panel charged with advising the District on this project. One young mother stood up nervously and spoke of her decision to send her kindergartner to Berlin over Grafton. This mother said that although her mother, a kindergarten teacher in Grafton, was sickened while working in the Berlin school, she felt it was a good school for her youngster and “he’s doing well there.” She also said that her mother was doing much better after she moved out of the Berlin Elementary School to Grafton.
Comments about District unity and the need to work together were made, and then the audience started to snipe at each other.  Many, but not all, were sure of one thing that the school taxes are going to go up and that they can’t afford higher taxes.
The next chance for members of the public to air their concerns about the project will be at a public hearing on December 1 at 7 pm in the Jr./Sr. High School in Cherry Plain.