Brookline's Driscoll, Baldwin School Projects Move Forward

BROOKLINE, MA —The immediate future of the Driscoll School and Baldwin School projects rested on a special Town Meeting at the Brookline High School Thursday night.

There were four items on the agenda that threatened to go into the wee hours. After an hour of discussion on an amendment that would block "non-emergency" fossil fuel-operated building systems within the project, Town Meeting members gave the green light for Brookline to spend $1.5 million for a schematic design of the Driscoll School and advance one of the options.

Then it was three hours of debate on what to do with the Ninth Elementary School project at the Baldwin site; fund a $1.5 million schematic design there and give the Select Board authority to buy a $4.7 million property for the project, or go with a relatively last minute alternative that proposed to redirect the $1.5 million to continue to expand in place - a prospect that school committees and district officials past have said has already been maxed out.

Add to that: As the town has been marching toward finding a space and building a ninth school citing rising enrollment for years now, it hasn't been easy. Running up to Town Meeting a group of residents filed a lawsuit against the town accusing the district of violating Open Meeting Law, and for unauthorized spending with the aim of stopping the Baldwin project. A Brookline parent, meanwhile, filed complaints accusing the district of using solutions to solve crowding issues that violated state and federal requirements for special education. In her complaint she said she filed it in the hopes that there would be no more delay in building a ninth school.

The meeting started at 7 p.m. it ended at 11:30 p.m.

What's was on the docket:

Article 1: Requests the town to resolve any outstanding collective bargaining on the table.

Debate: There was no debate. The request was for no motion.

Vote: No motion.

Article 2: Selectmen ask that $1.5 million be spent for schematic design for the Driscoll School project.

The Driscoll School Building Committee recommended Option H, which would put a new school building where the field is currently and a new field would go where the old school sat.

The Advisory Committee recommend including amended language that would block non-emergency fossil fuel-operated building systems within the project.

Debate: Most of the Town Meeting members spoke in favor of the amendment that asked that no fossil fuel be used at the school.

Vote: The amendment about not having fossil fuels passed 218 for it, 4 against and with a couple abstaining. The voice vote on the main motion to use the money for the schematic design there passed with a majority.

Time it was over: 8:15 p.m.

Article 3: Asks for $1.5 million for a schematic design for the Baldwin School.

There are a few options up to vote on here. Finding a space for a ninth elementary school in town has been a years-long effort as Brookline School District officials have pointed to rising enrollment. Recently questions have surfaced about how accurate the enrollment numbers are.

The Select Board and the School Committee want to go ahead with the schematic design for the Baldwin School.

The Advisory Committee, the town's financial board, recommends amending the $1.5 million to instead use those funds for plans to rework space in the Baker, Heath, Lawrence, Lincoln and Runkle schools.

Debate: School Committee was very pro Baldwin:

But there were several people who argued that although this has been a conversation for about a dozen years, there still was not enough information for them to make a decision, especially in light of an enrollment projection mistake, which overestimated by dozens of students.

Other arguments against continuing with the Baldwin site included that it was unfeasible and final funding or an override might not pass.

Town Meeting Member Kate Poverman raised the issue of children diagnosed with special needs needing a voice in town.

Votes:

• Amendment on Doggett: Fails 84 in favor.
• Amendment on fossil fuel: passes with majority
• Baldwin: Motion passes with applause 168 57 opposed 11 abstaining.

Time it was over: 11:15 p.m.

Article 4: This would give the green light for the Select Board to buy land at 15-19 Oak St., just across the street from the Baldwin School for $4.7. >> Brookline Could Soon Add Land To Baldwin Ninth School Site. The Select Board said adding the small property could be the solution to some people's questions about the Baldwin site.

Debate: Some said they opposed it as a waste, one Town Meeting member said she opposed the environmental waste construction would bring.

Vote: Passed 143 in favor; 66 opposed and 6 abstained

Time it was over: 11:24 p.m.

Catch up on all this: Brookline Could Soon Add Land To Baldwin Ninth School Site

• Residents File Lawsuit Against Brookline Over School Site
• Brookline Ninth School Search: What's On The List In 2018
• Brookline Passes Budget Money For Baldwin Ninth School Site
• After a firefighter shuts down Baldwin School input meeting, mixed

Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch Staff