Clarksburg School Building Committee to See Plans
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Design proposals for the school renovation project will be unveiled this week.
Superintendent Jonathan Lev told the School Committee this past Thursday that he and Principal Tara Barnes were to meet with the project manager Friday and get a first look at some possible plans for the project.
"We should be getting our first looks at some possible schemes they came up with," Lev said. "Things are continuing to move and it will be exciting to see what some of their ideas are for our project."
The school district is working with designer Jones Whitsett Architects on a feasibility study approved last year by town meeting. The design firm, which had done initial work about a decade ago, was reviewing options for renovation, additions or a new school based on the district's needs and resources.
School Building Committee will get to see the proposals at its Jan. 12 meeting to provide the architect and Brian Laroche of Potomac Capital Advisors, the owner's project manager, with feedback.
Lev said the education plan for the building is also nearing completion.
In other business, the committee agreed to reimburse the school music teacher $500 for a professional licensing course he is taking.
Each week the music teacher spends two days in Clarksburg, two days in Florida and one day in Rowe. Each school district has agreed to reimburse the music teacher for the $2,500 yearlong course.
Lev said normally teachers would be reimbursed up to $450 for a single course three times a year. He said they can also apply for additional funding for more courses.
But this instance was hard to fit into the district guidelines.
"It is not a regular three-credit course and it is in three different schools," Lev said. "That's where the confusion was so it really doesn't fit under the guidelines."
He added that the course is more expensive, more intensive, and longer than traditional courses.
School Committee member John Solari said he felt $450 was not enough
"If a teacher gets a professional license they are reimbursed for more courses, and … I am thinking about how much they are spending and how much they are getting as opposed to this which seems to be everything combined into one," he said. "So I wouldn't be against giving him more."
Solari said he thought $900 may be more in line.
Chairman Jeffrey Levanos agreed that $450 was not enough but felt $900 was too high.
Levanos and Solari voted to reimburse $500, but committee member Patricia Prenguber voted no because she felt $450 was the correct amount and proportionally correct because a teacher would end up spending more to get his or her license and the music teacher is only in the building two days a week.
Tags: Clarksburg school project,
