Westwood To Vote On Combined Hanlon-Deerfield Elementary Tuesday

WESTWOOD, MA - Westwood voters will be heading to the polls tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 25, to vote in a special town election on whether to approve the proposed project to build a combined elementary school of the Hanlon and Deerfield Elementary Schools at the current Deerfield Schools site.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The article on the consolidated elementary school - the only article presented - passed at Westwood's Special Town Meeting on Mon., Oct. 18 by an 873-153 margin, meeting the two-thirds requirement for approval for the debt exclusion to fund the project. More than 1,000 people came out on a brisk night to Westwood High School's Flahive Field for the vote.

The total project cost is estimated at $88 million, with up to $18.2 million of funding secured through a competitive application process with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). Payments will be spread out over a 30-year bond, with the average taxpayer paying an increase of $462 a year.

Moderator Jim O'Sullivan presided over the meeting, which lasted for nearly two hours. The entire meeting can be viewed on Westwood Media Center's YouTube link here.

Superintendent Emily Parks presented the proposal, noting that it was her 27th year working in the Westwood Public Schools.

"As superintendent, one of the things I most frequently hear from residents is that they moved to Westwood because of the schools," she said. "Those comments always remind me how fortunate I am to lead in a district where the community values education, supports educators' learning, and invests in its schools."

The proposal has been in the making for the past three years, she said. There were 75 public meetings, 14 community forums, and many meetings with community boards and groups to explain the project.

The new building would accommodate up to 560 students at the Hanlon location. It would provide additional performance space, multipurpose athletic fields, a Little League baseball diamond, and access trails to Lowell Woods. It would also house summer programming.

Both the Hanlon and Deerfield were built in the 1950s and do not meet current building codes, Parks said. They are not ADA compliant and have issues with heating, plumbing and electrical systems. There is no dedicated art or music space, and classrooms are small, Parks explained.

"The proposed project reflects the needs I believe the community identified," she added.

There will be a separation between the academic wings and the space available for community use. Classrooms will be clustered into neighborhoods by grade. The new building will be able to accommodate special education students in-district, making the environment more inclusive, according to Parks.

"We're really excited about this project," said School Committee Chair Maya Plotkin, "because it accommodates modern educational needs for both the general education population and the special education population, as well as being beautiful and inviting."

She noted that she did receive some feedback that there were "too many bells and whistles" on the project. But Plotkin said that this is what other communities are building for 21st-century schools. When comparing the project with four similar area MSBA-approved project, she said the cost was $621 per square foot, less than each of the other four she used in the comparison.

"There is no do-nothing option," she added, as repairs will need to be made to both buildings totaling more than $40 million.

A presentation was given by Ken MacKin in opposition to the proposal before comments by Town Meeting members. A resident since 1993, he expressed concerns about the school's size and cost.

"How do we get to the point of building a 560-pupil school when the demand does not exist?" he questioned. MacKin noted that the Deerfield and the Hanlon currently have a combined enrollment of 383 students, based on Department of Education data he cited.

Enrollment projections for the K-5 population prepared in 2018 by the MSBA from 2018 through 2028 showed that the MSBA forecasted an enrollment of 1,414 for 2022 gor grades K-5. By 2028, the MSBA projected the population of that age group population to be 1,642. In 2021, he noted, there are 1,238 students, which he said indicated a decline of 247 students.

"By overdesigning a school that is likely 20 to 25 percent larger than needed, the town is spending an extra $15 million for a school that isn't needed," according to MacKin's analysis.

Several Town Meeting members said they originally moved to Westwood because of the school system. The new school would keep property values high, provide community space, add athletic fields, and increase accessibility and space for those with disabilities. School drop-off and pick-up space would be enhanced, and an accessible playground would be a benefit for Westwood, which does not have one.

On the other hand, Dr. Peter Ittig, a member of the Finance and Warrant Commission, spoke against the project.

"First, we do not need a new school at this time for rising numbers of students," he said. "The proposed override, the largest ever in Westwood, is a replacement project for older schools that need repairs."

He added that many residents prefer neighborhood schools to larger facilities. Ittig also expressed concerns about the tax increase impact on elders. Another issue was what he called the "planned obsolescence of the schools," which are expected to have useful lives of 40 to 50 years. He said this would lead to the replacement of schools on a rotating basis, with additional anticipated overrides.

"I believe that our schools should be built to last, and the only good reason to build a new school should be for necessary additional capacity," Ittig continued. "That is not the issue here."

After a lengthy debate on both sides of the argument, the article passed by an 85-percent margin.