Building a team to build Briggs
By Caitlyn Kelleher

As the state continues to redesign the process of reimbursing towns for school building projects, the regional school committee is preparing to renovate or rebuild John R. Briggs Elementary School.

Letter of interest due by

Thursday, Aug. 31, to:

David Christianson Jr.,

Office of the Superintendent of Schools, Ash-West Regional School District, 11 Oakmont Drive, Ashburnham,

MA 01430

Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School Superintendent Michael Zapantis wants to have a building committee formed by the beginning of September. The building committee will have seven voting blocks representing a variety of members.

"The approach is to involve more people in the community and the process but at the same time not to over represent," Zapantis said. "We are hoping that group will meet with other members of the community and that constituency."

The groups include town officials - such as the selectmen, the town administrator and the advisory board - the school committee, parents, community groups - such as the extended day program and youth sports organizations - citizens with some construction and engineering experience, citizens-at-large, and the Briggs administration and staff.

School Committee Chairman David Christianson and Zapantis will serve on the committee as non-voting chairmen. The district's business administrator, Sherry Kersey, will also have a non-voting position on the committee to help the group with the financial aspects of the building project.

"The building committee is going to have sift through all of the changes and better understand how the (state) treasurer's office wants to handle these project," Zapantis said. "This will be a learning opportunity."

The state School Building Authority (SBA) has released a draft set of rules and regulations for future building reimbursements in May. The SBA officials are accepting public comment through the end of the month and the new rules should be in place in the near future.

The state agency has placed a moratorii um on reimbursements for school building projects until July 2007. Zapantis hopes that Briggs can be one of the first in line for the money.

The state is discussing starting reimbursement for projects at 40 percent, which is significantly less than before, Zapantis said. The agency will then add incentive points that translate into reimbursement dollars for things such as being environmentally friendly, he said.

The building committee will hopefully see the project through the design and building phase, Zapantis said. The committee will pick up where the preliminary use and study committee finished collecting the information from the community.