Public education is incredibly important to me. It is the reason I have a great career as a lawyer when neither of my parents received even an undergraduate degree. That would not have happened without the support of a lot of people along the way, including some incredible public school teachers and family friends. I want every child in Waltham to receive a high quality public education that meets his or her needs, aptitudes, and interests, because I know how much it has meant in my life.
Through tremendous hard work by all involved, Waltham High School earned accreditation this year, but the accreditation is based on plans to have a new High School by 2020. The current High School was built in 1969 and, according to the recent accreditation report, it is not ADA compliant, the science and technical facilities are inadequate, and internet connectivity is unreliable. The accrediting authority, the Committee on Public Secondary Schools of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, also noted that Waltham must “continue to address facility issues that inhibit high-quality programming for current students.”
The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has approved millions of dollars of state funds to support the building of the new high school, but it took many attempts to get this grant and the state could revoke it if Waltham does not make sufficient progress toward implementing its proposal. I have been assured verbally by many of the people involved in this project working closely with the MSBA that the state funds are not in jeopardy, but I am still concerned that if progress is not made soon, the MSBA may pull the state’s matching funds literally costing Waltham millions of dollars and jeopardizing Watham’s capacity to build the new high school cost effectively.
There has been a lot of discussion about possible locations for a new High School, and the School Building Committee has identified three options: Fernald, the High School’s current location, and the Stigmatine property.
There are too many issues with Fernald to make it a viable option to address the need for a new High School in a timely fashion. A large part of Fernald was purchased with Community Preservation Act funds and therefore must be used for historic preservation, affordable housing, or community open space. The agreement between the City and the State for the purchase of the property requires that Waltham get the Massachusetts Historical Commission to approve certain uses and they have been clear they do not support this use. Even the portions of Fernald which are not restricted include areas contaminated with toxins that must be abated before anyone can use them safely, and wetlands which need to be restored to address flooding in the area.
Building on the current site would be incredibly inefficient, expensive, and disruptive to the students and faculty for several years. It would also require construction within 20 to 60 feet of the current building, which would take place in the current parking lot, leading to significant transportation issues and additional costs. Once the new high school was constructed the current high school would need to be demolished causing more disruption and the loss of a building that could be renovated and reused for a different purpose such as administrative offices or a K-8 school which is also needed.
I think everyone can agree that the Stigmatine site would be the best location for the new high school. Recently the current City Council had an opportunity to authorize the Mayor to reopen negotiations for this property with a larger purchase price. Sadly, the City Council chose not to take advantage of this opportunity. As a City Councilor I would have supported this effort and would consider the taking of the property through eminent domain, although I see that as a last resort. My concern with taking the property by eminent domain is that it would like lead to an expensive legal battle that could spend years bogged down in the courts and has already been very divisive for the community. However, if the MSBA can assure the City that this potential legal battle will not delay the construction of the new high school or place the millions of dollars of state matching funds at risk, then I would support the taking of the property with certain conditions to protect the Stigmatine Fathers. Waltham schools have first rate educators teaching our children and they deserve facilities that meet our modern economy’s needs for things like STEM programs and career education.
To sum up my position on this topic, I believe that the most important goal should be to begin construction of the new high school as soon as possible. If construction can begin in a reasonable time at the Stigmatines then I would support that option to avoid the costs and disruption associated with building at the current location. However, if the issues surrounding the Stigmatine site cannot be resolved within the next year, I believe that the current site is our only option and we should begin to move forward with the current site and change our focus to how minimize the negative impact of construction at that location. Construction is always disruptive, but Waltham’s students, faculty, and staff, ultimately need new facilities as soon as possible.