Select Board Approves School Lease Renewals

The Seekonk Select Board approved the renewal of three properties leased to Southcoast Educational Collaborative by Seekonk Public Schools. The leases are for Room 236 at Seekonk High School, the Francis Gallishaw School, and the North Elementary School.

Superintendent Rebecca Kidwell told the board Wednesday the leases represent a three percent increase for each space. The money adds up to approximately half a million dollars for the school budget.

“We did bring feedback from the Select Board to the negotiations process,” Kidwell continued. “I’m satisfied that the answers we got from them are fair and appropriate and carefully consider the short-term and long-term expenses of maintaining these buildings. We also approached this with the understanding that at the end of this three year term, we were looking to have a more definitive plan for whether the property was kept as assets of the town and schools or sold.”

Kidwell explained the Superintendent of the Collaborative would be changing during the next three years.