A Committee of the Whole from the City Council will convene soon to begin discussions regarding funding for the proposed Clark Avenue Middle School initiative.
The project is in its final phases within the state School Building Authority (MSBA) process, and a final plan has already been submitted. The proposal envisions constructing a brand new school at the current site, with an estimated total cost of approximately $60 million. The City would bear responsibility for roughly $18 million of this amount following state reimbursements.
Previous discussions have focused on designs and educational plans. The focus is now shifting toward the critical matter of project financing.
According to Councillor Brian Hatleberg, a meeting has been scheduled for this discussion, though it has not yet taken place.
“fblikebutton_button” “This has been going on for quite some time with the School Committee and the Building Committee, but now it’s time for the Council to come in and be part of the discussion,” Hatleberg stated. “It’s still new news in a lot of ways and we’re going to work on it and figure out what can be done. We need a new school. There’s not a lot of wiggle room on that. I think we have to take a closer look at it. In other words, we won’t sacrifice quality and we will figure out how to get this down as efficiently as possible.”
According to Hatleberg, the Council’s participation remains in its early phases, though he anticipates school funding will emerge as a significant topic of debate throughout the fall season.