Parents Express Concerns About Pierce Project During Webinar, Question Project Cost and Planning
Parents Express Concerns About Pierce Project During BPO Webinar, Question Project Cost and Planning
On Sunday March 26, the Brookline Parents Organization (BPO) hosted a Zoom “Q&A” on the Pierce School building project. School Committee members Mariah Nobrega and David Pearlman were interviewed by Driscoll parent Beth Gilligan. All disclosed that they have endorsed the project prior to the discussion.
Questions quickly revealed that the audience was much more skeptical, however. From astonishment over the $212 million budget (the highest ever for an elementary school in Massachusetts) to dismay over the inadequacy of temporary facilities for student use during construction, participants voiced multiple concerns throughout the hour-long discussion.
Ms. Nobrega admitted that during the so-called “value engineering” process the Pierce Building Committee chose to drastically reduce the budget for relocating current students throughout the 3.5 year construction (recent public presentations showed the relocation budget has already been exceeded by more than $1,300,000 but there's been no explanation as to how that gap will be made up).
Pierce 6th-8th graders and their teachers will be moved into a small building at the former Newbury College site, over 1.5 miles from Pierce. Newbury lacks a gymnasium, cafeteria, library, auditorium, or space for an after-school program; students and their teachers are expected to share the building with the town’s Building Department.
Kindergarteners through 5th grade will be moved to the Old Lincoln School (OLS) on Route 9. There are concerns about how children will cross the major thoroughfare before and after school, and during the day to get to the playground. Many of the youngest students who now walk within the neighborhood to Pierce with older siblings will be alone in getting to OLS, another worry for families.
Transportation plans have not been provided to Pierce parents, a large number of whom do not own cars.
One parent wondered why transition leadership had not yet been appointed to handle this massive undertaking on behalf of students and families, as it had been at this point during the Ridley project. Concern was also expressed over the assumed use of Fisher Hill Park as a middle school playground. It is not designated for school use, and is ill equipped, lacking a baseball field and basketball courts, for example.
Another parent inquired whether or not families would be able to choose another school altogether during construction, to which Ms. Nobrega responded that the Superintendent would consider transfers on a space available basis.