Parking at May Street

O'Connell: look at the issue and try to do something for May Street and work with Temple Emanuel
talk to city officials, and Worcester State officials
city to take some innovative steps
Worcester State proactive and cooperative
some flexibility to have the May Street
hold the item for the next meeting, so close to having the solution
give that plan a chance to be fleshed out over the next few weeks
Foley: glad Mr. O'Connell modified his referral
needs a much longer discussion
"we have no jurisdiction on this"
work with City Manager, May Street, Worcester State, work on equitable solution
an awful lot going on around there
make sure the superintendent has our endorsement on working to go forward
Petty: CM quipped that he had a plan and no one wanted to hear it
Biancheria: give credit to our city manager
have a number of schools that have parking issues
take our best ideas and use at other sites

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday!

...and we have my favorite report of the year: the Opening of School Report! (The backup on this isn't up yet; I'll link to it once it is.)
The agenda is here.
We have another round of the back-to-school hiring reports!
City Solicitor Moore is letting us know that, though Council talks about it frequently, he doesn't have a recent report on the legality of hiring with a preference for Worcester residents.
Mr. Monfredo wants to recognize South High for being on Channel 5.
Mr. O'Connell is re-opening the discussion about parking around May Street School (specifically, around what was Temple Emanuel and now is owed by Worcester State).
I've asked that we consider supporting Senator Moore's Senate Bill 321, regarding the chartering of charter schools.
Mr. O'Connell wants to congratulate our AFL-CIO scholarship winners.
Mr. Monfredo wants to celebrate World Smile Day.
Miss Biancheria is suggesting we implement the Army of Saints curriculum and the Reach Out and Read program in WPS.
We're being asked to approve a prior year payment of $55.20.
And we're sending the School Committee section of the policy manual to Governance for our consideration.

Starts at 7 pm!

ALL HANDS ON DECK (with shovels and rakes!)

I'm THRILLED to say that we've hammered down the Joint Use Agreement between the City of Worcester and the Worcester Public Schools on playgrounds! This means that our playgrounds will be OFFICIALLY open to kids during non-school daylight hours!

BUT, before the big announcement splash, we have some work to do: as part of the agreement, the city is paying for NEW MULCH for our playgrounds! This will roll out over the next several weeks. To make this manageable, we'll have WPS oversight, but we need some volunteer labor to get the mulch spread.

We’re looking for volunteers who could serve at one of the 5 playground sites below on Wednesday July 8, 9am-1pm. You don’t have to come for the whole time, but we’re asking that the community pitch in to this important effort by spreading the mulch with us that day. So grab a rake or a shovel and come down to a playground to help support play in Worcester’s neighborhoods!

 

Wednesday, July 8^th, 9am-1pm:

 

Flagg St Elementary School, 115 Flagg St

May St Elementary School, 265 May St

Lincoln St Elementary School, 549 Lincoln St

Norrback Elementary School, 44 Malden St

Roosevelt Elementary School, 1006 Grafton St

 

We will have opportunities at other schools on the following two Wednesdays. Please be on the look out for more information on those.

May Street gym floor

If you're interested in donating for a new gym floor for May Street School, you can donate here.

Where the money is coming from (and a few more updates)

If you read carefully this morning or were listening last night, you got this, but for those who were wondering how the projected budget gap will be covered, Mr. Allen has the answer in today's Friday Letter:

It is expected that the City Manager will recommend to the City Council that an additional $1,258,321 be appropriated to the Worcester Public Schools to reflect the tuition assessment change.

The Administration will provide a full report and the recommended use of these funds for the December 19th School Committee meeting. These recommendations will primarily focus on (a) identifying resources necessary to reflect increased enrollment at schools resulting from the SOKCS closure, (b) address the FY14 budget shortfall identified in the First Quarter Budget Report, and (c) make strategic investments to best position our resources in anticipation of the FY15 budget.

Look for this on the Council agenda when that comes out later this afternoon. 

In other news, there have been heating issues across the city; this year, whether you're too hot or too cold appears to be almost random. Here's the latest from Mr. Allen on that:

The Facilities Department has been working to address a number of heating issues at schools this year, whether too hot or too cold, with many of the issues likely related to the implementation of ESCo projects with the City and Honeywell. The WPS is fully aware of each of the issues in the school and the Facilities Department is working daily with the City and Honeywell to rectify these situations.

And if this is affecting you, believe me: your frustration is heard. And shared!
And speaking of Facilities, the latest on the repair projects:

New Citizens Center: The boiler replacement portion of the project is complete. The window replacement portion of the project is essentially complete with punch list items remaining.
Lake View: The window replacement project is nearly complete with some trim work and door replacement work remaining
May Street: The window replacement project is fully underway at the school and is progressing towards completion in the next 45-60 days.
Chandler Magnet: The window replacement project will begin (as scheduled) in the Spring 2014 and continue through the summer vacation period.
Nelson Place: The building architect has been selected and the feasibility study process will commence with building committee meetings/input as well as the input from other building stakeholders.
Worcester East Middle Science Lab: The project continues with expected completion in the next 45-60 days.
Heard Street Roof: The project continues with expected completion in the next 45-60 days.

And new computers are on their way!

Facilities projects update

Worcester East Middle: bid out, permits going into place, construction will begin once permits are in place; plan is to have it done by the end of the calendar year
Heard Street roof: bid awarded, permits going in place, 6-8 week window (but depends on weather)
Vernon Hill masonry DONE: had to take the Vernon Hill sign down as part of that

MSBA:
New Citizens has all new windows, caulking, new shades, new boiler, just final punch list items; just need to do the doors, that will start next weekend
Lake View windows are in; still doing caulking and trim, happening second shift; then will start doors in
May Street some windows are out for masonry work (lower level); gym windows are in; window work will begin again once Lake View is done, then doors after that
Chandler Magnet gym windows are in, finishing work now; main building is for NEXT year; intending to get windows in on site, try to do some work during non-pupil periods if possible, then finish next summer
Jacob Hiatt: new boiler and such is IN

Next summer's projects are in schematic design phase, and that's due this week to MSBA (that's Columbus Park, WEMS, WAMS, and Tatnuck Magnet)

Nelson Place: Tishman Construction is the OPM, working on the architect, proposals are in
reviewing for architect: meeting is on October 22
Once that happens, then the building committee will be meeting
then review of all options, taking three or four months; narrow down to three choices from which city and schools will choose (looking to submit to MSBA in March)
that will go to MSBA Board vote

Allen notes that we may not submit four projects to MSBA next year, as we have work that cannot be covered by MSBA that is most urgent
Bedard notes removal of oil tanks, for example
Allen: estimate on those projects will be brought back to joint committee

Summer capital projects and Nelson Place

update from Bedard and Moosey
Mr. Moosey from DPW
boiler at New Citizens and Jacob Hiatt virtually done
new windows: Chandler is a two year project "very large amount of windows"
New Citizens should be done in the next few weeks (doors and such ongoing)
Lake View and May installed in the fall during non-school hours
those projects have to be done at the end of this year
October for Lake View, early December  for May Street

Extensive update from Finance and Operations today

You can find this Friday's letter from Superintendent Boone here; most of it is an extensive update from Mr. Allen regarding Finance and Operations.

• Not great news on the budget (that Governor Patrick signed today): due to the way that the charter assessments shake out, we've got $265,984 to make up in FY14. Expect an "adjustment" (that's a cut that'll go to Worcester's charter schools) sometime this fall.Not in the memo, but on the good news front: the state budget took the Senate's number for McKinney-Vento reimbursement, which was the higher of the two. As the city has now recognized this as a reimbursement for a service provided by the Worcester Public Schools, but used the House number to do so, we have a conversation to have with Council.
• We don't know about federal grants yet, but we will later this month.
• We'll be leasing four classrooms from the YMCA this fall for Chandler Magnet students; no word on which classes yet.
• The city is transferring 6 Claremont Street (a tax-title property) to the Worcester Public Schools for Woodland/Claremont use. The plan is to use the current (Woodland Street) parking lot as a playground (Woodland only has a teensy paved spot to play on now) and move staff parking to the 6 Claremont lot.Super cool that the city administration is seeing kids having space to play as a worthy use of space!
• Kindergarten is nearly at what we projected already (and there are always more who register as it gets closer to the fall), so it looks as though most of those reserved six teachers are going to be teaching kindergarten.
• On facilities, apparently MSBA is SO successful that we're now backing up window manufacturing! Jacob Hiatt is on track to get their boiler this summer. Caradonio New Citizens is also on track to get their boiler, and should have their windows by fall; if they don't, they'll be finished over weekends. May Street and Lake View are going to have their exterior windows done this summer, all others done this fall over weekends (May Street's gym will get done this summer). Chandler Magnet is having all exterior doors and windows done this summer, which is a surprise: it's a big enough building where it was projected to take two summers! Note that all of the above is MSBA reimbursed work. Vernon Hill's exterior masonry is getting fixed this summer (no more scaffolding!). Heard Street's roof is contracted out, and it is hoped that it will be done this summer. And finally, Worcester East Middle's science labs (at a base level; no reworking of gas or water lines or any other rooms) is being contracted out to be done for next year! In response to a reader question: Yes, we're still on track for Columbus Park, Tatnuck Magnet, Worcester Arts Magnet, and Worcester East Middle work, but those projects were just approved on June 5. That work would be for next (we hope!) summer.

And finally, I'm just going to quote Mr. Allen's final paragraph:

Jack Navin, the district’s Coordinator of Maintenance and Custodial Services and Robert Alvarado, the district’s Working Foreman, both recently retired after a combined 80 years of dedicated service to the Worcester Public Schools. In addition to their “normal” workday, both Jack and Bobby have been critical members that worked tirelessly through hurricanes, blizzards, fires at schools, and other events. Their dedication and support of school operations were certainly second to none, and the combined loss of institutional knowledge will be difficult to replace.

To which I can only add, they will both be missed.

update on Nelson Place and MSBA projects

Allen: invited into feasibility phase of project for Nelson Place
between now and May 2014
March 2014 through mid 2014 doing schematic designs
May 2014 to August 2014 is when they fund the project
June 2014-March 2015 design and planning
construction until January 2017, anticipated opening

MSBA submissions for this year
remaining three comprehensive high schools for renovation or repair
MSBA forces you to name a priority school
MSBA did a needs assessment: South graded the worst by MSBA; "to show MSBA that we're serious about their assessment"
"our intention is to the three schools as a joint package"
four schools for accelerated repair for this coming year

• Worcester East Middle: Windows, Boiler, & Roof note here that WEMS is down to one boiler; if (and when) it fails,they're done
• Columbus Park School: Windows & Boiler
• Tatnuck Magnet School: Windows
• Worcester Arts Magnet: Windows

Waiting to hear from MSBA to hear what are the next steps are

Capital spending: repairs

Allen: $7.7 million work at 10 schools, all complete
ESCo: boiler/chiller replacement, boiler replacements are all completed this past year
SoI's last year on Nelson Place, plus accelerated repairs
5 schools in accelerated repair: work will start this summer

• Chandler Magnet will get windows this summer and next summer
• May Street will get new windows
• Lake View will get new windows
• Jacob Hiatt will get new boiler
• Caradonio will get new boiler and new windows

O'Brien: how much?
Allen: 80% state funding, bids received, contracts being awarded
$9 million in total, we're funding about $1.8 million
Allen reserving some for environmental work, plus Heard Street roof, masonry at Jacob Hiatt and Vernon Hill
Biancheria: additional sixth grades, in Worcester East Middle, which we promised a science lab
Allen: Worcester East Middle science labs should be bid this week, construction to begin by summer vacation to be done by next school year
completed by fall of 2013
Allen comments that getting bids that has been difficult, getting a successful bid will allow work to be completed for school year of 2013-14
"project budget is a little less than $350,000"
complete school painting jobs: not just classroom by classroom

Heating after the long weekend

The Worcester School Committee received the following in an email from Mr. Allen regarding heat in the schools this week (underlining added):

Although the number of instances over this period of time is high, please know that the type of issues are very common that the Facilities Department faces with the schools throughout the heating season.
Columbus Park had a water line break in the boiler room and heating issues from the boiler.  Several of the technicians were deployed to address this issue at the school.  All of the issues have been resolved.
We had an unusual number of calls related to Canterbury Street.  This issue here was something that occurs in some of our schools not yet on full monitoring.  The custodian reported to Maintenance Services first thing this morning that the building was cold.  Since we had a number of personnel at Columbus Park, Maintenance Services was on site at the school between 9-9:30 a.m.  The boiler was reset and is again fully operational.  However, it is likely that it took several hours to regain normal heating temperatures to the entire building.
McGrath, Forest Grove, May Street, and Doherty had a variety of issues affecting heat delivery.  All of those overall building issues have been resolved.  There are instances of isolated classrooms issues at these site that will be addressed.
Burncoat High (B-Wing) has no heat and a replacement part is being shipped from Texas for the repair.  The repair should be completed by end of the week.  The school is fully aware of the status and will make adjustments to building usage as appropriate and needed.
Claremont, Roosevelt, Norrback, Quinsigamond, and Worcester Arts have new boilers through Honeywell ESCo program and each of these schools are having operational/technical issues associated with new boiler set-up and controls adjustments.  Honeywell and the boiler manufacturers are working these issues at the schools and we hopeful they can resolve them in the very near future.
As we progress into the cold winter season, it is not uncommon to have multiple heating issues at our schools on any given day.  Please be assured that the Facilities Department will respond to any and all heating issues that are reported by the schools.  They very are cognizant of the instructional benefit of having a warm and comfortable classroom and every effort is made to minimize disruptions to the learning process resulting from any facilities issue. 

And I will only add ('though this is somewhat repeating what Mr. Allen says above) that yes, you should always say something if you have a concern,and no, it is not okay for a building to be cold.

What happens now on school buildings?

What happens now?
We've got two things going on with the state now:

The Accelerated repair projects--May St, Chandler Magnet, Jacob Hiatt, Lake View, and Caradonio New Citizens Center*--are fast-tracked for their designated roofs, boilers, and windows. We'll have to use Mass School Building Authority pre-qualified Owner's Project Manager (who manage any project over $1.5 million, which both Lake View and Chandler Magnet are projected to be) and designers and be ready to move fast.
Note that "fast" doesn't mean this summer--we're a bit too close to that--but we can line things up so they're ready to fly next summer. Really this is internal management kinds of things on both finance and facilities ends, and, as the plan is to use the capital the city allocates for the Worcester Public Schools every year, there isn't an allocation complication, either. Mostly this will be happening behind the scenes.

Nelson Place, because we're talking either MAJOR rehab or a rebuild, is a different case. We've just been invited to the eligibility period for Nelson Place, which lasts 270 days ('though you don't have to take them all. Other districts pull these off in a couple of MSBA board meetings).  During that time, the district must:

1. execute an initial compliance certificate (ICC). This is a sign-off by the (in Worcester's case) superintendent, city manager, and chair of the school committee (thus, the mayor) that we've read the laws and regulations, that we understand them, and that we have and will continue to abide by them. Note that this makes sure that the district isn't replacing a building its sold. Note further that it certifies that the district has been meeting minimum foundation spending on building maintenance.
2. appoint a School Building Committee. This is done by the Chief Executive Officer of the municipality (thus, the city manager in Worcester), and it has some required membership, including the city manager, the superintendent, a school committee member, someone from MSBA, the facilities director, the principal, and others.
3. submit a summary of district funding capacity (basically, "yes, we can pay for this")
4. submit a summary of district maintenance practices ("and we're going to take care of it once it's built")
5. certify design enrollment: in other words, let's agree on how many kids we're building this building for. MSBA has all sorts of experience in this now.
6. confirm community authorization and funding.  This will be a City Council vote that they intend to build Nelson Place and they intend to pay for it. (And they have to get the wording right.)
7. execute the Feasibility Study Agreement. This says we're ready to go...lining us up for putting together the project team (that's lining up the professionals) and (we hope!) another MSBA Board vote on entering the feasibility study.

...which in sum is: several different votes from Council and Committee, some paperwork and evidence to pull together on both city and school sides, and a committee to appoint.

What do we think, folks? Can we pull this together for the October 3 MSBA Board meeting?




*it's windows and roof for Lake View, a boiler for Jacob Hiatt, windows for Chandler Magnet, windows for May Street, and a boiler and windows for Caradonio New Citizens. 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

School building projects made it on the agenda!

The Worcester School Committee received notice this afternoon from Mr. Allen that the Worcester Public Schools has six projects, including a rebuild/major rehab for Nelson Place, on next Wednesday's Massachusetts School Building Authority agenda!
As Worcester is an 80% reimbursement community, this is BIG news!
The other schools are:

            Chandler Magnet (Windows)

            May Street (Windows)

            Lake View (Windows)

            Jacob Hiatt (Boiler)

            New Citizen Center (Boiler and Windows)

Note the meetings of the MSBA board are public meetings, and thus anyone may attend. Next Wednesday's meeting is 10am to noon at the MSBA at India Street Conference Room on the second floor of 40 Broad Street, Boston.

Yes, I am going. If I can work the wifi, yes, I will liveblog.
Full email from Mr. Allen after the jump: