School board members say Manchester will proceed with plans to close an elementary school and build another, despite a vote Tuesday night by aldermen asking them to “pause” plans to upgrade facilities across the city.
“The resolution that passed is unenforceable,” school board Vice Chairman Jim O’Connell said Wednesday. “I think it was playing politics with the schoolchildren and families of Manchester. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen doesn’t have any authority over the school district and the way in which education is delivered in the city of Manchester.
“As the vice chair, and just one vote of the school committee, as far as I’m concerned there will be no pause,” O’Connell said.
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted in December to approve a $290 million bond to begin construction on facilities next fall.
Phase one of the long-term facilities project includes closing Wilson Elementary School, building the new elementary school, transitioning Hillside and McLaughlin middle schools from grades 6-8 to grades 5-8, and renovating Parkside, Southside, McLaughlin and Hillside middle schools to host fifth-grade students.
But on Tuesday, under new business, Alderman Ed Sapienza asked that plans for a new Beech Street School be paused, and Alderman Ross Terrio suggested funds be devoted to curriculum rather than construction.
Board Chairman Joe Kelly Levasseur said more questions should have been raised and answered before the December vote on a bond issue. He accused the previous board of rushing to vote before their term ended.
“The outrage in this community is palpable and warranted,” Levasseur said.
Aldermen went into nonpublic session to consult with City Solicitor Emily Rice, after questions were raised over what impacts a vote to pause the process would have on any contracts related to school construction that already have been signed and whether taxpayers could be on the hook to pay for any delays.
After emerging from the nonpublic session, Levasseur read a motion stating that, “It is the position of the members of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen that the district must place all spending as it pertains to Phase I on hold until the new Board has had the opportunity to receive a full presentation on the project, and that all future decisions must go through the Joint School Buildings Committee as laid out in the Charter and per state statute RSA 199:3.”
Terrio seconded the motion, which passed on an 8-6 vote. Voting in favor were Levasseur, Terrio, Ed Sapienza, Tony Sapienza, Norm Vincent, Kelly Thomas, Chris Morgan, and Crissy Kantor. Opposed were Dan O’Neil, Dan Goonan, James Burkush, Bill Barry, Pat Long and Christine Fajardo.
School officials said they were caught off guard by the vote, which was not on the posted agenda.
“Unfortunately, we had no indication that this would be a topic in new business at Tuesday night’s meeting, so we were not in attendance nor were we prepared to provide information,” Superintendent Jenn Gillis said in a statement.
“At this time, we are reviewing the motion taken by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen,” Gillis said.
O’Connell said he was surprised the matter was raised at all.
“I think it was shoddy that it was raised under new business,” O’Connell said. “I think that no effort was made to contact me as vice chair or to the best of my knowledge anybody in the school district shows a lack of good faith.”
School officials weren’t the only ones surprised. Some aldermen said they were unaware the topic would come up.
“During the meeting several aldermen made it clear that they wanted ‘transparency,’ yet they bring in an item under new business that’s very important to our schools and our city that clearly could have and should have been added to the agenda so that all of the aldermen and the public were advised,” Barry said. “It was very clear that seven aldermen were advised and seven were not. So much for transparency.”
Action criticized
Former board chair Pat Long said government works best when “everybody’s made aware of what we’re gonna be deciding on.”
“That didn’t happen,” Long said. “I asked the motion maker if he did his homework, nobody knew the facts. What’s amazing to me is, we’re all supposed to be working together. That’s what I hear, but I don’t see that. That’s problematic to me.
“As the chair I let everybody know what was gonna be discussed at the meeting — everybody knew, nobody was ambushed.”
O’Connell said the vote by the aldermen likely will come up at next Monday’s meeting of the Board of School Committee. But as far as he’s concerned, it’s full speed ahead for the district’s facilities plan.
“Wilson Street School will be closed, for sure, and will not be a school on the first of September,” O’Connell said. “There’s no question about it. There’s good reasons why it’s closing. That’s for certain. Clearly the Board of School Committee will decide which schools open and which do not. We can vacate Wilson Street School, and we will.
“I want to work with the mayor and the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to allay their fears and to bring us to a solution that sees improved and new schools in the city of Manchester.”
