Billerica residents speak out in favor of new Parker School

One after the other, they said the school was unsafe, overcrowded and in desperate need of replacement.

[love my boys]

Last nights meeting in my eyes was a success. I feel that way because the suppoters were able to speak and many people attended the meeting. These supporters also included parents from the Distson area. Many people feel Mr. Ventresca made many rediculious accusations. He argued that if a new school were to be built it would be a detrement to our fine town.(schools sell homes people). He also spoke of police, fire, teacher and town workers jobs being lost as a direct result of this project. If those jobs are to be lost it will have nothing to do with this school considering the monies for those salaries comes down from the state level & has no impact on this project since we are doing a debt exclusion. What he might have not knows is that at least 25% of the jobs created by building this school MUST go to Billerica residents thus creating jobs! Also this school will be paid for by a 51% reimbursement from the MSBA and a DEBT EXCLUSION not monies alocated to pay those town workers, teachers etc.. Also in 2011 a SMALL PORTION of the Debt exclusion would begin so you WOULD NOT see the full 50 to 100 $ placed on your tax bill until 2013.. I think the children of this community deserve better and we as town members need to make sure they get it. Get out and voice to your town meeting reps and selectmen your views on the issue.

[UNCLE SAM]

I like many have lost our jobs our unemployment has run out and our life savings are dwindling in this depression. We still have to pay our taxes even though many residents (don't have kids in school)and elderly retired on fixed income can't afford the basic. Increase sales tax,health insurance, gas , food . I say rent a vacant building on the turnpike and use it for a lot less.

[Frustrated in Billerica]

I support the new school 110%. The structure of the old school is failing. Why would we want to subject our children and the teaching professionals to such poor building conditions? Do we need to wait until a structural failure causes harm? Enough with the excuses. Let's move forward with the new school which will certainly bring in new jobs, current technologies for the students, a sound working environment for our teachers, and a great selling point to families interested in moving to our town. BTW- my children are all grown-up and out of the house. Do I want to pay more taxes - no. But the need in the community for this new school far outweighs the $50 to $100 increase.

[Voter]

UNCLE SAM wrote:

I like many have lost our jobs our unemployment has run out and our life savings are dwindling in this depression. We still have to pay our taxes even though many residents (don't have kids in school)and elderly retired on fixed income can't afford the basic. Increase sales tax,health insurance, gas , food . I say rent a vacant building on the turnpike and use it for a lot less.

Good idea, but no money in budget to rent building plus the state would not provide any funding to that type of project. I do not want taxes to go up, but when it is only for the life of bond and the state will pay 51% of project, I will vote YES.

[Muse]

It isn't the need for a new school that is the question . It's
how the town will pay for it that is the question. The school department has known for many years the Parker would need to be replaced but has NOT saved one penny in its budget to pay for it. If you conservatively calculate the money alloted to the school department for the last 10 years at$50,000,000. a year, it adds up to over $500,000,000. And not one red cent saved for a new school....disgusting! They need to be held accountable with the taxpayers money!!!! We have never voted for a debt exclusion before....never. Yet we have been able to build a state -of- the -art water treatment plant,a new library, refurbish the sewer treatment plant, sewer most of the town, build the new Ditson School just to name a few. Why can't the money be found it the budget? Perhaps, irresponsiblity!

[Voter]

Muse wrote:

It isn't the need for a new school that is the question . It's
how the town will pay for it that is the question. The school department has known for many years the Parker would need to be replaced but has NOT saved one penny in its budget to pay for it. If you conservatively calculate the money alloted to the school department for the last 10 years at$50,000,000. a year, it adds up to over $500,000,000. And not one red cent saved for a new school....disgusting! They need to be held accountable with the taxpayers money!!!! We have never voted for a debt exclusion before....never. Yet we have been able to build a state -of- the -art water treatment plant,a new library, refurbish the sewer treatment plant, sewer most of the town, build the new Ditson School just to name a few. Why can't the money be found it the budget? Perhaps, irresponsiblity!

Extra money in the budget? Think the current economy could be the cause? Or maybe the cuts in local aid by the State? Could the town do a better job with their spending? Probally, but that will not address current Parker issue and funding from MSBA for the school. The budget issues need to start with the Administration and Town Meeting. Whenever someone at TM questions spending, it is still approved. This Parker project needs to go to the Voters and let them decided. For today, it is the right thing to do.

[rcall5]

so 40 parents are going to make this decision for the town since the selectmen endorsed it?

[Parker Mom]

Hey, c'mon people who oppose the new Parker! Wake Up Please! Building a new school will be great for not only the children of Billerica but also the community. Who wants to live in a town where the schools are overcrowded? It is all well and good Billerica is a "sports town", but so what if your kids can't get a decent education. No one wants taxes to go up, but when have they ever gone down? Seriously, for the amount of $ that the taxes will go up, it is small price to pay to invest in the future of our community. Think of the increase of $50-$100, which is the price of a nice dinner out once a year ... would you skip it if it means a child would have a chance at a better education and improve proper values as well improve the community? I know I would! Support the new Parker ... let the people decide!

[Town Meeting Member]

The town meeting would need to vote on this proposal. It would need a 2/3 approval from town meeting. If it passes town meeting, it then goes to the selectmen for a vote of 2/3. If that passes. it then would become a ballot question for the voters of Billerica to decide if they want this proposal to go forward. So to answer the question of letting 40 people decide, they can't. It would be the voters who decide and that is why we live in a democracy where things are decided by the people not two or forty people.

[GAL]

It is my understanding that the Selectmen need to have a 4/5's vote, after Town Meeting approves it, to place this issue on the ballot for voters to decide.That is why so many people are trying to sway at least one vote to favorable.Does anyone know of this is correct???

Town Meeting Member wrote:

The town meeting would need to vote on this proposal. It would need a 2/3 approval from town meeting. If it passes town meeting, it then goes to the selectmen for a vote of 2/3. If that passes. it then would become a ballot question for the voters of Billerica to decide if they want this proposal to go forward. So to answer the question of letting 40 people decide, they can't. It would be the voters who decide and that is why we live in a democracy where things are decided by the people not two or forty people.

[Concerned taxpayer]

Muse wrote:

It isn't the need for a new school that is the question . It's
how the town will pay for it that is the question. The school department has known for many years the Parker would need to be replaced but has NOT saved one penny in its budget to pay for it. If you conservatively calculate the money alloted to the school department for the last 10 years at$50,000,000. a year, it adds up to over $500,000,000. And not one red cent saved for a new school....disgusting! They need to be held accountable with the taxpayers money!!!! We have never voted for a debt exclusion before....never. Yet we have been able to build a state -of- the -art water treatment plant,a new library, refurbish the sewer treatment plant, sewer most of the town, build the new Ditson School just to name a few. Why can't the money be found it the budget? Perhaps, irresponsiblity!

I agree 100%. I also want to see how much they will be raising taxes for other things. Why can't they say whether it will be $50 or $100.00. I bet it's $100.00, then come right out and say it.

[trying to make sense]

Concerned taxpayer wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree 100%. I also want to see how much they will be raising taxes for other things. Why can't they say whether it will be $50 or $100.00. I bet it's $100.00, then come right out and say it.

From what I understand it depends on the price of your home . If you live in an average home less than $300,00, it would be $50. If your house is more expensive it would be$100 and if you are lucky enough to live in millionaire housing, I gues you don't really need to wory about this.

[Really]

GAL wrote:

It is my understanding that the Selectmen need to have a 4/5's vote, after Town Meeting approves it, to place this issue on the ballot for voters to decide.That is why so many people are trying to sway at least one vote to favorable.Does anyone know of this is correct???<quoted text>

If Town Meeting votes 2/3 to go to ballot,

I would think there would be the four, maybe five Selectmen voting to go to ballot.

Not to rain on your parade but Chelmsford just said no to their over-ride.

People are hurting and may not have enough money.

[Doubts]

I can't believe this is a three-story building? how do they safely evaculate elementary age children? It really does look like a prison!

[The Forgotten Man]

Speaking of people hurting, Consider this:

With public education, parents, once committed to a specific address, have no choice as to where their children will be educated. They are FORCED to send their kids to a toxic dump if that is where the town chooses to hold classes. So much for freedom in a free education, eh?

That aside, it is documented that the beams supporting the building are rotted, they are laced with mold that can spread as airborne spores to be inhaled by young children with rapidly dividing and replicating cells that make them more vulnerable to damage than adults.

What kind of damage, you ask?

Pulmonary aspergillosis
Endophthalmitis
Blastomycosis
Candidiasis
Coccidiodomycosis
Cryptococcosis
North American Histoplasmosis

And if the building has asbestos and rotted or damaged lagging that covers and contains it, then, everyone in the building runs the risk of mesothelioma some 20-40 years down the road.

I happen to believe that although I have no children of my own in the public school system, that if the government is going to use FORCE to require attendance, then that FORCE should at least be accompanied by ensuring a safe environment and not a toxic waste dump site.

What do you think you will regret the most - paying extra to provide a safe, healthy and decent school, or seeing some kid struggling for breath in an E.R. even while on oxygen and wondering if your vote is, at least in part, responsible?

Yes, there are many people who we can point our fingers at: the selectmen, the public works department, the board of health, the fire department inspector, the building inspector, teachers and administrators who were aware of the problem but chose to just live with it...pick 'em.

The bottom line is that we, the voters (and more explicitly, the lazy, ignorant and anti-liberty non-voters) elected our town leaders. We reelected them even when we didn't like their choices for town managers and various boards.

We also voted for our Town Meeting members, some of whom were thoroughly aware of the conditions at Parker, yet did nothing to stimulate their constituents to get interested....we are all to blame.

Now that I've made that clear, know this...for every child who develops some illness due to mold or asbestos exposure or who gets injured due to the poor structural conditions at that school, we are all equally responsible and have no realistic way to blame fate! Let's do the right thing for these kids and when the polls open, let's do the right thing for the town's future.

If you're interested, I put up an article on this topic, this morning, here:

http://aforgottenman.wordpress.com/2009/10/06...

[Voter]

Really wrote:

<quoted text>
If Town Meeting votes 2/3 to go to ballot,
I would think there would be the four, maybe five Selectmen voting to go to ballot.
Not to rain on your parade but Chelmsford just said no to their over-ride.
People are hurting and may not have enough money.

With the Chelmsford plan, there was no state funding. The taxpayers were expected to pay for it all. I also would have voted NO on those projects. The Parker projects get 51% from the state which is why I will vote YES.

[Voter]

Doubts wrote:

I can't believe this is a three-story building? how do they safely evaculate elementary age children? It really does look like a prison!

It is a 3 story building due to the size of the lot. If there was more land, then a 1 or 2 story could have been built. If the town was smart, it would have bought up open space land years ago to give them more options in the future. As far as looking like a prison, I would say more like a public building. If it was designed to look pretty, the cost would be even higher. The building was designed to keep costs down for the taxpayers.

[MikeL]

Excellent blog, Forgotton Man. At this point, it would have to cost substantially less to avoid debt exclusion. People already think it is too plain (4 walls) looking and has NO CAPACITY for future growth. So it is what it is.

I dont think anyone is advocating keeping kids in the Parker. It should be condemned ASAP. The only option to a new school is double sessions and 40+ kids per class at the other schools. Of course this will drop home values throughout the town, upper middle class families will move out, and lower middle class families move in. We may have to build a second Wendy's to handle the overflow.

There are many in town who would not hesitate to let this happen in order to save $100 year. They may be selfish and uneducated, but don't underestimate their resolve.

[love my boys]

Concerned taxpayer wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree 100%. I also want to see how much they will be raising taxes for other things. Why can't they say whether it will be $50 or $100.00. I bet it's $100.00, then come right out and say it.

The amount your taxes get raised all depends on how much your home is worth. If your home is on the lower end of the towns span you will be charged less and so on. It's not 100$ for everyone.

[The Forgotten Man]

MikeL wrote:

Excellent blog, Forgotton Man. At this point, it would have to cost substantially less to avoid debt exclusion. People already think it is too plain (4 walls) looking and has NO CAPACITY for future growth. So it is what it is.
I dont think anyone is advocating keeping kids in the Parker. It should be condemned ASAP. The only option to a new school is double sessions and 40+ kids per class at the other schools. Of course this will drop home values throughout the town, upper middle class families will move out, and lower middle class families move in. We may have to build a second Wendy's to handle the overflow.
There are many in town who would not hesitate to let this happen in order to save $100 year. They may be selfish and uneducated, but don't underestimate their resolve.

I understand what you're saying, and sadly, I agree. Selfishness in the rational pursuit of self interest is not a bad thing. Selfishness in opposition to one's rational self interest is beyond sad.

For example, when an economic downturn strikes and weaves its way through an already anti-business state or town, one could rationally expect even more businesses to leave. What business will see setting up shop in such an environment as being in their rational self-interest? How many families will choose to remain during the bad times when they are forced to send their kids to overcrowded schools during evening hours?

Allowing the Parker (and other town buildings) to decay and rot away was certainly not in the rational self interest of the town. We would have been far better off investing a little bit at a time over time to avoid what's now blossomed into some sort of Kafka like nightmare. We can't go back; so, all that's left is to either hold to the status quo or move forward with lessons learned and a determination to not have mistakes repeated.

A new school will go a long way to improving an area of our infrastructure that really matters. If the townspeople come to their senses and pressure officials to adopt a trial mixed use overlay zoning exemption along with a new school, we may actually have a chance for a better future. We may actually have the beginnings of what could be the sort of change needed to actually afford the smaller but more personal infrastructure changes we'd all like to see.

Building infrastructure is the way to end economic tyranny. Good infrastructure will go a long way to draw good businesses, jobs and a stronger and more reliable tax base. Good infrastructure goes even further toward instilling community pride and volunteerism to make the town even better.