Community Corner
$22 Million to Expand East Shore! - Next, the Plan for the Future of the Milford School System
On Feb. 6, 2012. The Board of Alderman approved the bonding of $12 Million dollars to expand and renovate East Shore Middle School. It was quoted to be the most expensive school renovation in the city’s history.
On Feb 4, 2013, The Board of Alderman, during their Ordinance Committee meeting, approved an additional bonding bringing up the cost of the East Shore project to $22 Million dollars. The following was taken from their published meeting minutes. At the time, Alderman Paula Smith made the following comment; “The project has gone from $16M, thinking $12M would do it and now $18M, and now we are up to $22M.” She also stated they have spent a year on this and questioned how they would explain this to the taxpayers going from $12M to $16M to $22M.
How is this possible? $12M to $22M in just 1 year?
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Even still, there are suggestions being made by the Architectural firm of Silver Petrocelli to do additional work at the school.
Now this brings us to the present Long Range Planning Committee. There was an option presented during the March 4th LRPC meeting recommending a configuration that would bring in a 9-12 Specialty school within Foran and Jonathan Law. This option was embraced by the Committee and will most likely be the one presented to the Board of Education for review. From a cost perspective, collectively, the cost to build these Specialty schools would be, according to the presentation, a combined cost of $8.4Million. Keep in mind, Milford just had this firm (Silver Petrocelli) complete an expansion of both Law ($3.1Million) and Foran ($7.1Million).
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What is going on here? This is out of control? As taxpayers, we need to step up and question these ridiculous expenditures and demand our town leaders to qualify and quantify them.
The Long Range Planning Committee is scheduled to present their final recommendation during the March 24th Board of Education Meeting at City Hall. This is residents’ opportunity to speak out against this fiscally and academically irresponsible action. Keep in mind, the decision they make is final and only requires a majority vote for it to pass. There is no review by the Board of Alderman, no review by the Mayor, no public referendum, only a 6 out of 10 vote.
