LWVCC Board Votes Unanimously to Support CCHS Building Project

League of Women Voters^®
of Concord-Carlisle, Massachusetts

LWVCC Board Votes Unanimously to Support CCHS Building Project

The board of the League of Women Voters Concord-Carlisle has voted unanimously in favor of the Concord Carlisle High School Building Project. We urge you to vote YES for a new CCHS.

Statement for Town Meeting. Town Meeting Handout.

LWVCC Statement for Town Meetings in Concord and Carlisle

November 2011
The board of the League of Women Voters Concord-Carlisle has voted unanimously in favor of the Concord Carlisle High School Building Project. We urge you to vote YES for a new CCHS.

We have followed the state of the High School facility for decades and recognize that the facility is now in dire need of attention beyond renovation. This view is supported by the Massachusetts School Building Authority's support of a new building and lack of support for any renovation of the existing building

The funding is sound. The proposed new building is estimated to cost $92.5 million but because the state has agreed to fund $28 million of the new building, the cost to the towns is $63.5 million. Alternatively, the cost to the towns of a full renovation of the existing building is estimated to be $70 million and there would be no funding support from the state. Doing nothing could lead to loss of accreditation, lower home values and higher interest rates on future construction bonds. In the end, alternatives would cost more and be overly disruptive to the quality of education.

Finally, we have taken a particular interest in energy efficiency and approve of the green initiatives proposed in this project. Based on the outcomes of the Willard school in Concord also designed by OMR Architects, the green initiatives will result in reduced maintenance costs and a healthier working and learning environment.

Overall, the impact of doing nothing or further delaying this project will ultimately be greater on the individual taxpayer than proceeding now and taking advantage of the state funding and favorable construction costs. It never seems the right time to raise taxes, but for all of the stated reasons now is the appropriate time to move forward with this project.

Cindy Nock and Paula Vandever, Co-Presidents
League of Women Voters Concord-Carlisle
Download Statement to Town Meeting

LWVCC Handout for Town Meetings in Concord and Carlisle

The League of Women Voters Concord-Carlisle supports the Concord Carlisle High School Building Project
based on our League positions of:

open and transparent government,
support of quality education in the public schools and
sound fiscal management.

First, the School Building Committee has been open and transparent as evidenced by:

the diverse ideas and scenarios seriously examined,
the inclusion of new green building initiatives,
the regular communications with school departments, town boards, community groups,*the number of information meetings, tours and forums by SBC within the communities,
the cchsbuilding.org website, and
their availability to answer questions that have been very helpful in understanding the needs, goals and outcomes of the committee and the planning process.

Second, the need is real. The facility is in dire need of attention beyond renovation. This view is supported by the Massachusetts School Building Authority's support of a new building and lack of support for any renovation of the existing building.
The existing building...

was built over 50 years ago,
is not conducive to energy efficiency,
is full of outdated systems,
has a building envelope and footprint that is inefficient for safety and scheduling,
is not in keeping with the quality of public education we expect in Concord and Carlisle.

Third, the proposed funding is sound.

MSBA has promised to fund $28 million of the new building project.
The new building is more cost effective than a full renovation without state funding.
To do nothing or to delay or change the project at this point would eventually cost more.
Construction costs are in line with average costs of similar school building projects.
Interest rates on bonds and construction bids are low due to the current recession.

Finally, the green initiatives such as

calculated use of natural lighting and efficient air displacement ventilation,
smaller and more compact building footprint,
construction designed to be 30% more efficient than the energy stretch building code and
landscaping that includes environmentally sound design and maintenance elements

will result in reduced maintenance costs and a healthier working and learning environment.

For all of the stated reasons, now is the appropriate time to move forward with this project and fully address the needs of our High School facility.

Download Town Meeting Handout

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