HAMPDEN/WILBRAHAM  – At the Hampden Wilbraham Regional School District (HWRSD) meeting on Jan. 9,  Director of Finance, Operations and Human Resources Howard Barber informed the school committee that the Wilbraham Middle School (WMS) roof project is currently on track. The district is working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), the architect and owner's project manager (OPM) on the next steps.

The most recent cost estimates put the project at $3,169,773, of which the MSBA will pay 55 percent, leaving the district responsible for 45 percent of the cost.

Barber reported that the Wilbraham Financial committee discussed proposing to pay for the project from the stabilization fund when it comes up for a vote at the March 9 special town meeting.

“We are in very good shape,” Barber said.

Barber reminded those present that the roof project was proposed in 2014 through the MSBA for $2.1 million, which the town voted against at the time.  The current cost of the project is now $3.2 million. Barber said that if the town votes it down again the project is unlikely to be approved for MSBA funding for the third time.

Ganem said repairs to the roof run approximately $20,000 to $40,000 per year. He also stressed that despite the recently–begun district reconfiguration study, “WMS is a large part of the plan," in all possible reconfigurations, and therefore the roof is needed.

Gina Kahn, director of Safe Schools/Healthy Students discussed the upcoming vaping prevention awareness event, “Let’s Talk About Vaping,” that was scheduled to take place earlier this year but was moved to Jan. 28 due to a snowstorm. The new snow date is Jan. 30.

The event, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Wilbraham, will take place at WMS at 5 p.m. Kahn said the hope is to get “our younger students and families involved so they [won’t] start,” using vaping products.

Kahn called the issue of youth vaping “a call to action.”

District families are invited to  enjoy a dinner at the school, a raffle, vaping exhibits, take–home resources and a presentation by keynote speaker Dr. Jilla Sabeti, a neuropharmacologist and associate professor at Western New England University. Following that, there will be panel presentations and discussion with a question and answer period.

The event is offering free childcare for younger children from 5:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., courtesy of the Minnechaug Regional High School student council.

HWRSD Superintendent Al Ganem said that event should be publicized through social media. School Committee member Bill Bontempi urged the organizers to repeatedly send messages through various platforms to ensure people will turn out. “You have to create urgency,” Bontempi said.

Approximately 20 students from the WMS Robotics Club were recognized for the work they did during the team’s inaugural semester.

Principal Tom Mazza described the robotics club students as dedicated, meeting for more than an hour and a half, twice a week for 12 weeks.

“A lot of teams couldn’t hold a candle to them,” Mazza said of the students, many of whom had never coded before. He said the robotics team learned skills that they can take with them throughout life.

Mazza also recognized three parents, Sam Lam, Kelly Lam and Devin Ryan, who worked to establish and coach the team.

Sam said he had looked for a robotics club for his child, a WMS student, but when could not find one he collaborated with Mazza and the other parents to help create one at the school.

“Mr. Mazza has been very enthusiastic,” Sam said of the principal and called him “instrumental” in the team’s success.

Ryan said he got involved because he wanted his stepson Jaxson Smith, a student at Mile Tree, to have the opportunity to participate in robotics.

School Committee Chair Patrick Kiernan announced that the committee had voted in favor of the contract agreed-upon with “Unit A” workers, which include teachers and paraprofessionals. The contract puts an end to the months–long contentious negotiations between the district and the Hampden Wilbraham Education Association, which represented Unit A.

The Wilbraham Hampden Academic Trust (W.H.A.T.) gave an update to the school committee. The representative called the robotics club at WMS “specific and STEM–related academics,” and said the organization had been happy to support the program. The annual W.H.A.T. fall gala raised a total of $25,000 that will aid in the organization’s mission to fund academic opportunities for the district.