Seekonk School Projects

A few school renovation projects will be proceeding this summer following the approval of funds at the May 11 Town Meeting.

The gymnasium floor at Seekonk High School will be resurfaced and a replacement HVAC unit will be purchased and installed for the pool.

Voters approved $725,000 for the purchase of the air handling system, which controls humidity and air temperature as well as heating of the pool water.

Superintendent Rebecca Kidwell warned the pool could become “unusable” if the current air handling unit was to stop working. It was installed in 2001 and is nearing the end of its lifespan.

In addition, new door locks will be installed at Hurley Middle School.

$100,000 was appropriated for Phase 3 of the School Safety and Security Project. 

Kidwell said the School Building Committee approval would go through the Buildings and Facility Subcommittee, which will collect talent bank forms. The committee will be made up of close to 20 individuals and will oversee potential building projects based around Hurley Middle School.

Kidwell also addressed the parking lot at Martin Elementary School. Voters at Town Meeting rejected a warrant article calling for $975,000 for repaving and drainage work.

A motion was made to request $447,000 for one phase of the work. That was withdrawn after school and town officials met during the meeting. The decision was then made to ask for the full amount of $975,000.

“One possibility would be to explore ways that we could do an engineering or site study through putting something out to bid and see what kind of pricing we get,” Kidwell told the school committee on May 18.

If the town was going to provide funding, work on the parking lot would not begin until the summer of 2027, Kidwell noted.

“But that gives us an entire year to do better preparation to ensure we have the information needed.”

School committee chair Robert Gerardi admitted he was “disappointed” about the criticism from the Select Board.

On May 13, Select Board member Michael Healy claimed the school department had never mentioned the possibility of splitting the project into two phases before the meeting. 

“To me, that only shows that we were trying to collaborate with the other two boards, because I don’t know if they were in agreement on what they wanted,” Gerardi added. “But we were trying to listen to everybody, and as a result, it didn’t work out so well this time. I can guarantee you that the school committee and the school department are going to do their best to keep working at this. I’m cautiously optimistic that we’re moving in the right direction.”