WORCESTER ScHOOL COMMITTEE

CANDIDATE RESPONSES

Read the responses submitted by this year’s candidates for Worcester School Committee.

Responses to questions will be posted weekly. Please check back regularly.

QUESTION 4

Many of our schools are housed in inadequate or antiquated buildings with infrastructure inadequate to the needs of 21st century learners.

What steps would you take to begin to address this issue?

400 word maximum submissions permitted.

*Currently serving on the school committee.

**SUSAN M. MAILMAN* | AT-LARGE**

Many of our schools are housed in inadequate or antiquated buildings with infrastructure inadequate for the needs of 21st century learners. What steps would you take to begin to address this issue?

The good news about this question is that it is at the forefront of every forum, every publication looking to highlight elected’s positions, including WEC, and each school committee person’s list of priorities. Sen. Markey/Rep Bowman have unveiled a “green new deal for Public Schools” proposing $1.6 trillion to transform our older buildings, create jobs and eliminate carbon emissions – this bill would most importantly invest in systems like Worcester serving low income students and those students with disabilities. This is the type of acknowledgment at the federal level that is needed to meaningfully allow districts like ours to “catch up”. Perhaps there are legislators that saw the power of the ESSER investments and heard loud and clear that those dollars were only scratching the surface.

A large system like Worcester has to prioritize building repair and maintenance across many constructs, including emergency repairs, access to buildings during school hours, money and equity. As our school population is increasing and our buildings further deteriorate because of a lack of funding for so many years, we will have to be creative with solutions and use all resources and partners to strongly advocate at all government levels in order to prioritize all angles of building funding streams, like accelerated repair programs.

Burncoat Middle and High School must be our next building replacement project. I will advocate for a 50/50 arts and vocational school. At the same time advocating for increased reimbursement percentages from the state for building replacement and even higher reimbursement levels for vocational investments as those programs are high cost and must be high return.

**TRACY O’CONNELL NOVICK* | AT-LARGE**

We began to address the issue when we increased the facility spending in this year’s budget, as a result of the Student Opportunity Act. The Worcester School Committee successfully advocated this year for an increase in the MSBA cap, a restart of the Accelerated Repair program, and state funding towards the inflationary increase of current projects, including the new Doherty in the state’s FY24 budget. We are coordinating with administration on advocating for specifically the needs of Gateway cities, as precisely the combination of need and lack of local resources that created the need for the foundation budget and the SOA are also the combination that gives our cities an outsized number of schools with facilities needs. We have more schools that we can locally fund the work on.

That said, the city of Worcester has funded the Worcester Public Schools’ capital budget at $4M for over a decade. That is irresponsible. I have advocated for, and have worked with the Council’s Education Committee on, moving that funding level up. We simply cannot keep up with the capital needs of a 50 building system ranging in age from before the Civil War to last year with $4M a year.

MAUREEN F. BINIENDA | AT-LARGE

Worcester Public Schools (WPS) has some of the oldest infrastructure in the state, in fact some of our buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places. Over the years there have been some improvements however, there are additional improvements needed to provide students access to educational resources such as updated science labs and media centers, flexible spaces for varied groupings of students, world language labs, physical education and wellness spaces.

To my knowledge, Worcester Public Schools has applied for and received funding from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) including funding from MSBA Accelerated Repair Program as well as funding for the building of Nelson Place, South High Community School and Doherty High School.

During my tenure as Superintendent of WPS, I worked closely with the MSBA on the final stages of Nelson Place School, all stages of the MSBA funding, planning and presentations for South High Community School, and the first year of the MSBA planning, and meetings for the new Doherty Memorial High School.

Currently I am still working with the MSBA on the final completion of the Easthampton Mountain View School. In addition, I will be presenting alongside the MSBA Director of Strategic Planning, providing an in depth briefing to superintendents and staff on how to access and utilize MSBA funding to address their building needs.

As a School Committee member, I will not only bring the expertise garnered from these experiences to inform our work, but will continue to look for funding opportunities to work with the MSBA to improve our building infrastructure and education resources for students and staff. I will advocate for additional funding from the city and state budget, and conduct regular conversations with elected representatives for school infrastructure and educational facilities improvement as part of the WPS Capital Improvement Plan. Finally WPS facilities department has some of the most skilled employees such as plumbers, electricians, carpenters and custodians who work tirelessly to make sure our schools are safe and in working order. As a School Committee member, I will advocate for the hiring of more custodians and skilled trades employees to effectively maintain our new buildings as well as to make improvements to our inadequate buildings.

**MOLLY O. McCULLOUGH* | DISTRICT A**

To address the critical issues of our inadequate and antiquated school buildings, we need a comprehensive approach that prioritizes updating and enhancing our master facility plan. It is crucial to advocate to the Mass School Building Authority for additional funding, specifically emphasizing the urgent need for a new Burncoat High School and comprehensive renovations to Worcester East Middle School. Moreover, we must adopt a proactive stance in managing our building infrastructure, continuing to shift the focus from reactive maintenance to preventive measures. The following steps are imperative to initiate a transformative change:

Undertake a comprehensive needs assessment of all our school buildings to identify specific areas of improvement, considering the requirements of 21st-century learners. This assessment will form the foundation of our proposed renovations and new constructions.

Revise and upgrade our existing master facility plan to incorporate the specific needs highlighted in the comprehensive assessment. This updated plan should prioritize the construction of a state-of-the-art Burncoat High School and the necessary renovations for Worcester East Middle School, alongside addressing the infrastructural challenges faced by other inadequate buildings.

Engage with the State delegation to advocate for additional funding for Mass School Building Authority. Continue to present a compelling case to the Mass School Building Authority, showcasing the urgency and significance of our proposed projects. This entails outlining the educational benefits and the long-term impact these developments will have on the community and the learning environment for our students.

Integrate sustainable and innovative building practices into our proposed developments. This includes incorporating energy-efficient systems, advanced technology infrastructure, and versatile learning spaces that promote collaborative and experiential learning.

Implement a robust long-term maintenance strategy that emphasizes preventive measures. Regular inspections, timely repairs, and the use of durable, high-quality materials will not only extend the lifespan of our buildings but also create a conducive and safe learning environment for our students and faculty.

By pursuing these steps, we can take substantial strides towards addressing the pressing issue of inadequate school buildings and pave the way for a transformative and progressive learning environment that meets the needs of 21st-century learners.

VANESSA ZULEYMA ALVAREZ | DISTRICT B

Addressing the issue of inadequate or antiquated school buildings within WPS may require a comprehensive approach that involves other factors. Meaning, that our local government, educational authorities, and even the community will need to take part in this issue. Assessing all WPS buildings is needed to determine the existing problems and the severity of the presenting issues. From this assessment, higher needs schools will become top priority. The budget is essential in this process therefore, collaborating with state and federal agencies may enhance the numbers. This step will involve seeking assistance and grants from state and federal education agencies. In addition, engaging the parents, communities, and educators in the decision-making process will make this issue more personal for all. This is important because they are the people who go in and out of the schools buildings on daily basis and they have the right to be included in this process. The final steps to ensure these issues are covered would be to adapt our current model which is addressing the changes with our green corp approach to ensure an eco-friendly solution. This includes the buildings architectural, engineering, energy efficiency, technology integration, construction and renovation.

Solving the problem of inadequate school infrastructure is a complex and ongoing process that requires commitment, collaboration, and long-term planning. It's essential to involve all stakeholders and to prioritize the safety and well-being of students and the quality of their education. As a candidate, I will advocate to ensure that WPS buildings are one of our top priorities.

**JERMOH V. KAMARA* | DISTRICT c**

Given the extreme impact of Climate change that we felt for multiple days during the summer and for a few days just within the first two weeks of school which forced us to prioritize the health of our staff and students by closing school.

We must consider two factors: Urban Schools within WPS Quadrants and areas with high concentration of old and new immigrants.

According to a T&G article “Historically, heat island neighborhoods nationwide have concentrations of low-income residents, people of color and poorly insulated multifamily housing stock.urban heat effect and are often designated as "heat islands."

So, we have to think about building new schools in urban areas. Thankfully Burncoat Middle/ High is next on the list. In regards to funding, elected officials need more robust ways to advocate other than through the city, grants, or the Massachusetts School Building Association (MSBA). We need help on the federal level to address this. I strongly support Senator Ed Markey's “ Green New Deal for Public Schools Act” to invest 1.6 trillion over the next decade in public schools to revitalize the K-12 education system, upgrade every public school building in the country, and reduce hazardous pollution— is one ROBUST PLAN. I plan to be a champion for Worcester on this initiative so that Worcester can adequately benefit.

ALEJANDRO GUARDIOLA, JR. | DISTRICT D

Worcester has done an excellent job of investing in new school buildings in recent years but we still are behind in updating much of our aging building stock. About $600 million worth of new high schools have been built in the past decade between South, North, and Doherty. However we will still need a new Burncoat, and we still need better buildings at the elementary and middle school levels.

When I was growing up I went to Jacob Hiatt Magnet School. Even that building was not in the best condition, and it was still better than other schools in the neighborhood where some of my friends went. District D school buildings have not seen the same capital investment as other schools, and they need help.

Every student and teacher deserves to have a safe learning environment where they feel comfortable spending most of their day in the building. As a school committee member on the local level, I will work diligently with our school administration and the city manager’s office to ensure we advocate for adequate school infrastructure. I know the current superintendent has made it a priority to invest in buildings and I will be supportive of increasing the WPS budget for school improvements to HVAC systems, furniture, walls and windows, and other proper 21st century building features and amenities.

At the state level, we have a problem with the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s reimbursement rate for school construction. It has not kept pace with the rapidly increasing costs of construction, which are higher now than they’ve been in decades. Not to mention that new building energy codes will require more efficient building systems -- which will improve the quality of our buildings long-term but increase the cost to construct. In order to provide state-of-art learning environments that we can be proud of, we need the state’s help. With the help of my knowledge of the decision-making process on Beacon Hill, I plan to be that advocate for WPS on the state level as well.

QUESTION 1

What do you think are the most significant strengths of the district? What are the most significant areas of concern?

QUESTION 2

Worcester continues to struggle to meet the needs of English language learners and to recognize the value of proficiency in more than one language. What steps do you think the Committee and District need to take to address this inequity?

QUESTION 3

If elected, what actions, specifically, would you take to address understaffing in the WPS? Please prioritize the staffing shortages you would address.