WESTBOROUGH – The high school gyms will have to go a bit longer without air conditioning.
The School Committee decided to drop its Town Meeting warrant article asking for $1 million toward the cost of installing rooftop cooling units.
The units themselves will be built, thanks to funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). These will replace the existing rooftop units, and they will cool the high school, except for the gyms.
The article was to help cover the additional expense to expand the cooling units to the gyms.
According to Superintendent Amber Bock, the bid came in at $2.2 million, which was higher than anticipated.
School Committee Chair Stephen Doret said the item will be “cycled back” to the list of capital improvement projects.
“Perhaps its time has not come,” he said.
During the tri-board meeting of the School Committee, Select Board and Advisory Finance Committee on Sept. 21, Bock also presented updates on projects that could come before spring Town Meeting – the roof restoration at Mill Pond Elementary School ($1.1 million) and the ADA/MAAB upgrades for Hastings Elementary School, including the replacement of most double doors and single doors in classrooms and restrooms; the replacement of toilets; and the addition of exterior ramps and landings (about $5 million).
The full warrant can be found at https://www.westboroughma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif5176/f/news/warrant-special_town_meeting_10-16-2023.pdf.