SALEM — The School Board has agreed to ask voters for a $22 million bond to pay for renovations to three elementary schools.
The board voted unanimously last night to place a warrant article on the town ballot seeking a bond to fund work at North Salem, Barron and Lancaster elementary schools.
The renovations at the three schools would be the first phase of a master plan for kindergarten to eighth grade that the district has devised. The plan calls for renovations to five of the district's six elementary schools and Woodbury Middle School.
The remodeling and additions would make room for the district's new kindergarten program, and create space for special education programs and the arts.
Special education programs are held in closets and hallways in most district elementary schools. The district had to have nine portable classrooms trucked in at the beginning of this school year to temporarily make room for the new kindergarten program.
The board must have warrant articles finalized by Jan. 13. The school district will hold its deliberative session Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Salem High School auditorium. Voting day is March 9.
If the warrant article is approved, preliminary construction at the schools could begin this summer, said Chris Drobat, vice president of Lavallee Brensinger Architects.
The district will likely ramp up a campaign for the proposed renovations shortly after the deliberative session, Superintendent Michael Delahanty said.
The district also approved two other warrant articles for the ballot last night — one that would buy a parcel of land and one that would sell a plot the district owns.
The board voted 4-0, with an abstention, to ask voters to approve $491,000 to buy land next to the middle school. They also voted the same way when asking voters for permission to sell a 15-acre lot the district owns on Lowell Road. That land has been appraised at $365,000.
Board member Bernie Campbell recused himself from both votes because of a previous business relationship he had with the owners of the land next to Woodbury.
Board member Pamela Berry said the board had been discussing the two properties in recent nonpublic meetings.
"This is something that the board has been discussing for a couple of months now," she said. "It's not something that just popped up."
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