What’s next for the Beebe???

What’s next for the Beebe???

The Library is scheduled to be done by the fall which leave us with the question of what’s next for the Beebe? It was rented to the Acera school for the gift and then to SEEMS (education for children with disabilities).

During the Override campaign Melrosians were provide information during multiple city wide meetings on how the Beebe School could be used to address the overcrowding at the elementary level. We were given the option of opening it as a K-5 or citywide K. A few months after the override was passed, the city quietly decided that it would not be financially feasible to open it for Public school use.

It has been used for the last 2 years as a library and has served that purpose. Part of the override included $250 K, to cover the loss rental income that would be incurred reopening it as a Public School. The Beebe was also deemed not large enough a location for the new Police station which instead will be built at the former Ripley School. As the city has declined to reopen the Beebe as a Public School, that would mean it’s available to be rented out again. We can expect to get $250 K plus annually for rent that combined with the $250 k in override money to cover loss rental income would provide $500 K plus annually. In addition the city will make it’s last payment for the building of the Roosevelt school of $174 k on 8-1-24. This is not a debt exclusion but paid from the cities yearly budget. Those combined provide the city $674 K in additional annual funds.

Money from renting the Beebe out again is flexible money that can be applied as needed depending on the city’s current budget needs. We know from past experience that any increase in student population is only temporary and is followed by a significant decrease. Generartion Z is starting to enter the workforce and Gen Alpha is entering High School. Gen Z is expected to have fewer children then any generation before them just as their parents experienced back then. This means we will see a decrease in students just as we did with their parents Gen X. Melrose closed half of it’s elementary schools when Gen X was in them.

The money from the override was supposed to go towards addressing overcrowding in the schools. We can predicate that the current bubble as with prior generations will not be permanent. Again, the city decided that reopening the Beebe as a Public School was not feasible. Another way to address the temporary overcrowding is with a temporary/flexible solution which money from renting the Beebe would provide. Once this current student bubble moves on the rental money can be allocated to other needs.

As the library time at the Beebe school is growing short this seems an ideal time to reexamine how the city will use the Beebe and all finances marked for it going forward, before embarking on other projects.

1. Will the Beebe be rented out again?
2. If so how will the annual $250 k from the override be reallocated?
3. How will money collected from renting it be allocated?

So again Melrose - what is next for the Beebe? It is vital that we all provide input into these important decisions to be made since we will all be impacted financially by the final results.