It looks like a good design and will greatly enhance the town for the long-term.
However, it is still far from a done deal and opposition to the project is out there. If concerned residents don't stay involve, we could again lose the chance to improve the Galvin. Every year this gets put off, the price tag will only go higher.

How about a design to renovate the Galvin? How much did this design cost? This town needs to cut back on the spending. Has anyone even looked at our town employee and pensioner payroll? Town cops and linemen getting 100-130K a year, good grief! We don't need to spend money we don't have. Over 8 million just to tear down and dispose of the Galvin! Lets think smarter and greener. You don't tear down your house when it turns 40. We rebuilt the odd fellows building after the fire. Why can't we renovate the Galvin people! If we don't pull in the reins now the next school to be completely destroyed and replaced will be the High school and yet another prop 2 1/2 override... Mark my words.

Renovation was looked at during this study. It was too costly and the State would not reimburse us 53% as it will with new construction. If you look at the current building, it was built as a high school originally. The set up doesn't support the middle school teaching model. The classrooms are too small, too spread out and overcrowded, systems are outdated. The new design is more efficient with space and also energy efficient. It's obvious something needs to be done about the building. If it costs more to renovate and the State will reimburse us 53% to build new, I think the right choice is to build new.

There isn't a need to tear the Galvin down. We can do repairs one at a time in order of importance like we all do with our houses. The people in this town don't need another tax that will never go away. We replaced the Woodville which should have never been done. We sold the Montrose which was a great location with ample parking just to replace the Dolbere which is a traffic nightmare and has no parking. The next school on the chopping block will be the High School. Let's pay off the schools we have already replaced people! The town keeps spending money frivolously and fails to maintain the schools properly. When the roofs start to leak they want to tear the schools down and rebuild them . We get stuck with a 2 1/2 override tax increase that will NEVER go away. How about coming up with a budget plan that can pay for the repairs using the current school funding and tax revenue. I went through the Atwell and Galvin. The class sizes are more than ample as this WAS originally the High School. Walls can be moved in a renovation. The only “teaching model” issue is the actual teaching of our children. Not the place in which they are taught. Let's spend some of this “Taj Mah Galvin” money on building better programs for our kids. Bring back the occupational classes. At one time we had great wood shop classes and cooking classes at the Galvin. They were on the side of the Galvin that isn't even being used at this time! Maybe you can fit your “teaching model” in there.

Mike you are way off on this. Have you been in the Galvin? It would cost more in the long run to try to make repairs one at a time. The systems are out of date, it is very energy inefficient. This is a school that has over 1000 kids use every day. The community uses on a regular basis too. This new building will serve not just the schools, it will serve the entire community. This is not someone's house so you can't make the same comparison. We will also get reimbursed over 50% with state money. If you look at that reimbursement %'s from the state we got very high points for our building maintenance plans. If the Town didn't do the right thing in the past as far as maintenance and investment, we shouldn't punish the current students and community for it now. This is not going to be a "Taj Mahal Galvin". The state doesn't allow that to happen. I believe our students and our community deserve better than "it was good enough for me". Education changes, the world changes. I think our children should be prepared for the changing world and the current Galvin School doesn't support that.

If you want the Town to be a better place you need to invest in it. While I agree that everyone has the right to their opinion and has the right to vote any way that they choose, the discussion should always be respectful. Your responses Mike, are not respectful. You don't need to get nasty and attack our opinions and even other town workers. Read all the information that is provided and make an informed decision that is right for you. That is all we ask. Be respectful. If you don't think we need a new school, then you can cast your vote that way. But attacking the police or teachers or others who don't agree is just not cool. Keep it respectful.