March 15, 2001

Is the high school project necessary?
Amesbury News. By Joel Beck

There seems to be little doubt among town officials, the Municipal Council and the High School Building Committee that the current high school is in need of serious repairs. The 32-year-old school was built with an intended capacity for roughly 500 students and more than 800 students currently attend the school. Councilor Debra Dow said there is a " population bubble " moving through the school right now and less students are expected to attend Amesbury High School by the time the project in completed.

Dow pointed out several area that the high school is in need of repairs, including the need for a new roof, which was the center of concern this week when the school was closed through Wednesday due to concern of wet, heavy snow possibly doing damage to the buildingís roof. She also expressed the need for a new boiler and asbestos removal at the school, but questioned whether the full $23.8 million for the renovation was excessive.

" Iím not sure that what they are requesting is fully necessary, " Dow said. " I question to some extent the size and the concept that we are overbuilding. Can we look to something that is less expensive Ö versus a completely new space? Is it viable? Is it efficient? Iím not sure that those questions have been answered yet. "

Building Committee Co-Chairman Michael Corcoran said the Building Committee has gone to great lengths to prove that the project is indeed necessary.

" The Building Committee has done itís job, " Corcoran said. " Weíve presented the facts pretty clearly, weíve been up front with the information, weíve documented the need. Itís too bad we werenít able to come up with it six months to a year ago.

" I donít get the impression that anyone is against the project, " Corcoran continued. " It all comes back to the matter of timing. "

With the idea that something needs to be done to improve the state of the high school agreed upon by most of the parties involved, the question becomes " how " and " when. " The next month will be critical in deciding the future of the school and Corcoran said he is " guardedly optimistic " that some sort of agreement can be reached. In many ways, Iacobucci seemed to share those sentiments with the belief that something can be worked out.

" I believe the high school needs to be updated, " Councilor Tom Iacobucci said. " I support the idea that we need to bring the high school up to current standards. My goal is to hopefully allow us to come to a compromise that the council can live with, the Building Committee can live with, the treasurer (Barbara Moore) can live with Ö I believe thatís possible. "