To my friends and neighbors:
I am writing to offer my full support for Wilmington’s Elementary School Building Project. I urge everyone to vote YES at both the September 13th Town Hall meeting and then at the ballot box on September 16th (or before through early voting!). Let us say to our young people that their education matters.
Addressing our aging elementary schools is long overdue. For too many years we kicked this proverbial can down the road. 1970 was the last year an elementary school building was built in Wilmington and on the north side of town the newest school was built in 1963. The town has done as best they could to maintain these buildings, but there is only so much that can be done. These schools are in need of major repairs that include replacing major plumbing, heating, and electrical systems.
The cost of these repairs? $135 million and that would not even address the inadequate learning spaces that plague these schools.
I am excited about this project. For those who are unaware, it has been a long process and we are getting close to the finish line. In 2018 the Town Facilities Master Plan first promoted the idea of consolidating schools. In 2020, the School Department submitted Statements of Interest to the MSBA for all six elementary schools, with the oldest, most in need school, the Wildwood, being the priority project. After some pandemic interruptions, Wilmington was one of only a handful of schools that were invited into the MSBA process. By 2024 the School Building Committee had whittled a list of 18 options down to 9. In the span of 25 months, from 2023 to 2025, the Building Committee held 35 public meetings, 7 community forums, and conducted several community surveys. In April of 2024 the final project was selected- merge the three schools on the north side of town into one, state of the art, PK-5 elementary school on the current North Intermediate School site.
And the cost of this brand new, state of the art school that addresses the needs of three schools? With MSBA funding, it’s $111 million. That is $24 million LESS than repairing and renovating these schools!
A YES vote is the only one that makes sense financially and educationally. If this vote fails, we are essentially forfeiting the financial assistance of the MSBA. If this vote fails, the only recourse would be to attempt to enter the MSBA process again and put this off for another 7 years or more. If this vote fails, all taxpayers in Wilmington will be stuck with a larger bill for our schools than the current project. If this vote fails, we are telling our dedicated teachers, counselors, administrators, paraprofessionals, and other staff who work in these buildings that we do not support them. If this vote fails, we are telling our students and families that their education is clearly not a priority to us.
Please join me in voting YES at the Town Meeting on September 13th and at the ballot box on September 16th. Let’s not kick the can down the road any longer. Let’s stand up and tell our youngest learners that their education matters and it is a priority of this community!
Jay Samaha
Wilmington School Committee Member (2019-2025)
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