Facility Commitee to Form for New School Proposal

A small facility committee will form as the Windham School Board begins the process of selling a new school on London Bridge Road to the public prior to a vote in March.

The committee will come together at the suggestion of board member Michael Joanis, who suggested a concept of four people and two others from the School Board.

Joanis argued that everything that last building facilities committee was included on appeared to "go much better" than things that the group was not included on.

Chairman Bruce Anderson stressed the clarity that could come from one small committee, explaining that there were several committees going on at the same time for the high school.

"They each had plus or minus 10 people at one time," he said. "I think from the board's perspective (this committee) will be a lot easier to manage."

Joanis said that big decisions are coming between now and March. He stamped the dollar amount for the proposal that will go on the warrant article as one of the biggest decisions that a committee could help with.

Decisions such as what to do about athletic fields and who to select for the project's potential team are also pending.

Joanis and fellow board member Jerome Rekart will run point on the selection process for that committee.

A timeline has been set by Superintendent Dr. Henry Labranche and SAU 28 Business Administrator Adam Steel.

Steel said that Request for Proposals (RFP's) will be sent out this month to firm up four entities – owner's project manager, site and civil engineering firms, design team and construction management firm.

Those firms will be selected in January so that the team will be available to answer public questions at the Feb. 8 school deliberative session. Those contracts will be prepared for March 13, and if the warrant article passes on March 12, they will be signed.

"We can get all our ducks in a row," Steel said, stressing that no work can be done other than that. That pushes the project timeline back for a school opening of fall 2015, provided the public supports the new facility.