BETHEL — The SAD 44 board began the process for a possible major renovation of the Telstar Middle/High School complex by appointing a special committee to review contractors’ submissions.
Named were Superintendent David Murphy, board Chairman Sidney Pew of Andover, Facilities Committee Chairwoman Laney Cross of Bethel, part-time business manager Bruce Powell and transportation director Ron Deegan.
Murphy said the ad hoc committee will review qualifications by four contractors who indicated interest.
He said the board, as a whole, has not yet decided whether to support the expected multimillion-dollar renovation.
The committee will likely make a recommendation at the board’s Jan. 23 meeting at Woodstock Elementary School.
“The chosen company would then begin the engineering that would assess the project’s cost,” Murphy said.
After those figures are submitted, the board would decide whether to go forward.
At issue is the 40-year-old building’s low energy efficiency as well as the need for significant updating.
Murphy said the district has set aside nearly $2 million for such a project, and has also learned that it qualifies for a $1.3 million no-interest bond.
If the board decides to go ahead with the renovation, residents of the district’s five towns must approve it.
In other matters Monday night, approval was given for about 17 fifth-graders from Woodstock and Andover elementary schools to travel to Boston for an overnight trip on May 31-June 1. This will be the first time the students from both schools will take part in a joint field trip.
Also, the 45 fifth-graders from Crescent Park Elementary School in Bethel were granted permission for their overnight trip to Boston on May 10-11.
Murphy said work on the development of the 2012-13 budget is expected to begin in February. The current year’s budget is $9.7 million.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
