CHESHIRE, Mass. — The town will release a "request for expressed interest" next week to gather what interest there might be in the reuse of the closed Cheshire Elementary School.

 

Town Administrator Mark Webber provided the Selectmen on Tuesday with a complete request, or RFEI, that will only solicit what interest there is in the building and help inform the reuse committee's next steps.

 

"I think it needs to go out," Selectwoman and member of the reuse committee Carol Francesconi said. "We need to see what the interest is."

 

The town formed a reuse committee after the regional School Committee voted last year to close the elementary school. The reuse committee does not intend to recommend selling the 62,000 square-foot building.

 

Chairman Robert Ciskowski said although he was all for releasing the RFEI, he would like a proper inspection and survey of the condition of the building before the town releases a request for proposals. The original part of the structure dates to the 1920s with several additions and renovations over the past century. The school building has been maintained by first the town school district and then the regional district until being turned back to the town last year. 

 

"I think we need to know as landlords. I don't know the condition of the building and I wouldn't want to mislead someone," he said. "The building has been out of our stewardship for some time now and I wouldn't want to lease the building and then have to put $2 million into a structural defect that no one knew about."

 

Selectman Edmund St. John IV said he would contact EDM Architecture of Pittsfield and get cost estimates for an inspection.

 

The Selectmen asked that the RFEI not contain a date on which the town will release a request for proposals because they wanted to see if there was even an interest first.

 

The town will schedule a walkthrough next month.

 

In other business, St. John, who also serves on the Regional Agreement Assessment Committee, said the committee at its next meeting they will discuss Section 4 of the agreement – the part that outlines how the towns financially contribute to the school district.    

 

"I just wanted to let you know in advance and if you have any comments you want me to bring," he said.

 

At the RAAC meeting held earlier this week, Cheshire representative Justin Kruszyna asked if there was a way to let Cheshire possibly increase its own school funding assessment as a possible path to reopen the elementary school.

 

The other selectmen said they would think about any comments but Francesconi asked if St. John had any input from Cheshire parents who now send their kids to Hoosac Valley Elementary in Adams. 

 

"I haven't heard anything and I have talked to a number of parents ... that were vociferously against it come around to it," he said.

 

St. John added that although he still thinks the wrong school was closed, he feels everyone needs to focus on improving the education of all of the children in the district instead of trying to reopen a school that would only take away funds from education.

 

"Every child that's a part of the district should receive the best education possible," he said. "Forever in my life, I will never agree with the decision that was made but we have to focus on making sure the district receives the best education that we can provide."