WEST SPRINGFIELD – The West Springfield Town Council took a major step forward in the construction of a completely new Philip G. Coburn Elementary School at their Oct. 7 meeting when they approved the appropriation of the $69,036,380 price tag.

An estimated $39,235,179 is expected to be reimbursed through the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), leaving the town the responsibility for approximately $29,801,201. The 80 percent reimbursement rate, for which the project has been approved, is the maximum allowed by the state agency.

At $465 per-square-foot, Bill Cunniff of NV5, the owner’s project manager, called it “a very economical project” and said the cost is in line with recent projects in Holyoke and Springfield.

The time frame for the project would see the design development phase end in December of this year. The bid would be awarded by September of 2020 and construction would begin in the same month. The new school would open in September of 2022, while the existing school’s demolition, mostly carried out over the summer, would be completed by November of that year.

Ryszard Szczypek of TSKP Studio Architects showed the city councilors a final presentation of the plans for the school. He said four residences on Lathrop Street would need to be acquired by the city to complete the plan.

Built in 1927, the existing school is 71,000 square feet, with only 34,000 usable square feet. Szczypek called it “an inefficient building with very inadequate spaces.” The new school would be 119,800 square feet. A total of 78,600 square feet of that is usable education space.

The new school would accommodate 705 students including Coburn's K-5, as well as, the pre-K and the kindergarten classes that are currently at John Ashley Kindergarten.

Szczypek pointed out the security measures built into the design of the school, which include gates to prevent unauthorized vehicle access, fencing along the back and west edges of the property and ornamental fencing on the street sides of the property to keep children from “running willy-nilly.” The fencing also provides a clear demarcation of school property. Windows on the first floor will be shatterproof to minimize improper access to the school.

The new school is a three-story building. The first floor will contain six pre-K classrooms, what Szczypek described as a “prominently located” administration area, a high school-sized gymnasium, a cafeteria designed to accommodate three lunch waves and a stage that could face either the gym or the cafeteria.

The second floor will contain six kindergarten classrooms, six first-grade classrooms, five second-grade classrooms, a library and a media center.

The third floor will house five third-grade classrooms, four classrooms each for the fourth and fifth grades and a media center.

Szczypek credited Dietz & Company Architects for their contributions to the design.

“We've packed as much as we could into this floor plan to accommodate the square footage that you need,” said Szczypek. In fact, he said the MSBA has complimented them on the compact floor plan.

During the public hearing on the new building, resident Chester Zymroz asked whether John Ashley Kindergarten would sit empty and wondered for how much the town would have to bond.

Mayor Will Reichelt explained that John Ashley will continue to house kindergarten classes for the four other elementary schools in the city. He said that while the council is required to approve the whole amount, only the town’s share will be bonded for.

Councilor Nathan Bech questioned what would happen if bids come in higher than the estimates. Connor said that the estimates are recalculated at each stage of the design, bid and build process.

“It has happened that you get sticker shock,” when bids come in, Cunniff said but noted that it is uncommon. He said the council has the option to “pull back” if it goes too far over estimates. Szczypek said contingencies are built into each step of the project. Szczypek noted that costs are escalating at four percent per year and that is important to stick to the deadlines as laid out to minimize cost increases.

“If there is a less expensive way to do something,” Szczypek said, they can “look at those options if it looks like the estimates are creeping up upward.” However, he said he's confident the estimates are correct as they were vetted by two independent firms.

Councilor George Kelly asked if the project was 100 percent energy-efficient.

“It's about as good as you can get,” Szczypek said. He added that he didn't think a “net-zero” building was necessary or achievable with the budget. When asked by Councilor Sean Powers, Szczypek confirmed that solar panels could be added in the future, if desired.

Kelly also asked if resource officers would be needed because the school is so large.

Superintendent Michael Richard answered that while there was currently no resource officer for the elementary school level, there would be room in the new Coburn School for a resource officer that could service all of the elementary schools if the town decided to use them in the future.

Before the vote, Councilor Griffin praised the work that has been done and officials for their “stick-to-it-ness” over the six years since the project was first proposed.

The council also approved the adoption of three state laws. The first law allowed veterans who live in homes held in trust for them to enjoy the same real estate exemptions which benefit veteran homeowners. Councilor Michael Eger said the trust situation is very common among veterans and this would close that loophole.

Similarly, the second law adopted granted a tax exemption on real estate for the parents of veterans who are missing in action and presumed dead.

Finally, the town adopted an extension to the age limit at which a resident can apply to be a police officer, from the age of 32 to the age of 36.

During the public comment period, John Ladue and Chester Zymroz from the West Springfield Lions appeared before the council to let the public know the time was approaching for the Veterans Park of Heroes.

Ladue said that in the four years he’s been running the program 600 flags have been purchased. Each flag, available for $30 each or four for $100, has a West Springfield veteran’s name attached. The flags fly in the town common beginning in the last week of October and will be folded on Dec. 1 and given to the sponsor as a keepsake. The money raised funds a scholarship for children and grandchildren of veterans. Last year, the Lions funded scholarships worth almost $14,000 through the program.