BELCHERTOWN – The Belchertown School Committee met on Sept. 20 and talked about an upcoming event and an update on the owner’s project manager for the Jabish Brook Middle School feasibility study.

International Walk to School Day

On Oct. 12, Belchertown schools are teaming up with Safe Routes to School (SRTS) to put on an International Walk to School Day event and teach students proper safety protocols when walking or biking to school.

SRTS is an approach that promotes walking and bicycling to school through infrastructure improvements, enforcement, tools, safety education, and incentives to encourage walking and bicycling to school.

According to their studies, 10 to 14 percent of car trips during morning rush hour are for school travel. SRTS initiatives improve safety and levels of physical activity for students.

Superintendent Brain Cameron originally said that the plan was to walk from the center of town around Chestnut Hill Community School and Swift River Elementary School. SRTS did a projection based on where students live to make the route but after conversations it will be moved to the football stadium.

“It is still a work in progress, but the walking trail will now start with students being dropped off at the stadium and go up by the High School and around Chestnut Hill to Swift River,” Cameron added. “This is better because it is on our campus and a number of students can take part in it.”

Assistant Superintendent Shawn Fortin said, “We wanted this event to not be disruptive and cause more traffic by busy street crossings in town, so we feel having it on campus also helps reduce that.” All five schools have been signed up for the event which means they have reached the 1,000 student goal and there will be a celebration in November that Cameron is still trying to confirm.

Cameron said that once the plan is finalized with the mapped out walking route, permission slips and the map will be sent out to the students and families.

Owner’s project manager

Cameron also gave an update to the committee on the owner’s project manager (OPM) position. Cameron and the schools were looking for an OPM after running a feasibility study for a new school or remodeling the Jabish Brook Middle School. The study ran due to the size of the potential project.

He talked about some background on the process that started with a meeting that took place on June 6 with the Jabish Brook Building Committee and the OPM team was established. It consists of eight members who had to draft a request for service (RFS). The OPM Committee drafted a narrative for RFS that included background, project description, evaluation criteria, selection process and selection schedule, requirements for content of responses, and a copy of statement interest.

The RFS was presented by the OPM Committee to the Building Committee and was approved and authorized for the Selection Committee to advertise for the OPM.

From there they had an informational meeting that three companies attended to get a tour of the area.
After a two-week process that included applicants to get their responses in, making a shortlist of the applicants and then interviewing those chosen, the final selection narrative was submitted to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

Cameron is waiting for confirmation from the MSBA to reveal who was selected as OPM. The next step would require some members of the OPM Committee and possibly the new OPM go to Boston for a panel review with individual members from MBSA in October.

The School Committee will meet again on Oct. 4.