Mary Byrne
More than 40 new paddle fans will be installed this summer at Winn Brook Elementary School, thanks to the efforts of the school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA).
Following the School Committee’s recent acceptance of a $125,000 donation from Winn Brook PTA last month, the Select Board recently approved a $126,100 contract for the installation of paddle fans at the elementary school on Waterhouse Road.
“I applaud the [PTA] for going out and wanting to make this happen,” said David Blazon, director of facilities, noting this project wouldn’t otherwise be on any imminent capital improvement plans.
According to Blazon, the money will fund the purchase and installation of 45 paddle fans. In addition to classroom fans, a handful will be placed in the library to replace some old fans.
“The Belmont School Committee is tremendously grateful to all of our PTA/O volunteers as well as the parents and caregivers who make donations to these organizations,” School Committee Chair Meghan Moriarty said in a statement. “Our Belmont Public Schools community constantly shows that they are willing to dedicate time and resources to education and the wellbeing of our students year after year.”
In a statement, Meenal Bagla, co-president of the Winn Brook PTA, wrote, “We are thrilled to be in a position to be able to support this initiative that will benefit the entire school and make it a more comfortable learning environment for all.”
The fans will be installed, ideally by Sept. 1, by the Acushnet-based electrical engineering company, M-V Electrical Contractors, according to Blazon.
“A lot of credit [goes] to the PTA for stepping up with a very substantial amount of money,” Select Board Chair Elizabeth Dionne said at a recent meeting.
Unlike the new Belmont Middle and High School, she added, the elementary schools do not have air conditioning.
“In my mind, this is … a big step forward to help children learn,” Dionne said.
Town Administrator Patrice Garvin also acknowledged Blazon’s role in making the project possible.
“Dave has a list miles long of capital projects and regular every day projects, so the fact he took time out of his day to work with the PTA is really kudos to Dave,” she said.
Chenery Boiler Project Underway
The Select Board has approved a $1.6 million contract for the installation of new boilers at Chenery Upper Elementary School.
The project will be designed and carried out by Marlborough-based Guardian Energy Solutions, according to Blazon.
Blazon told board members that the plan is to replace 30 small package units that have “seen their life expectancy.” The units will be replaced by high-efficiency condensing boilers, he said.
“We’ve been going through, for the last number of years, some weighing out of a number of projects at the Chenery school and we’ve basically prioritized them into a number of classes,” Blazon said. “The first one will be this boiler project.”
Town Meeting members approved the $1.6 million capital expenditure at Town Meeting in April.
At that meeting, Christine Doyle, chair of the Comprehensive Capital Budget Committee, explained that the other two inter-related projects — installing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units and repairing the roof (with the potential of making the roof solar-ready) — would be items for discussion and funding requests in the future.