School Committee Unanimously Votes To Approve Administration Move to Perini Building

The Framingham School Committee voted 4-0 Tuesday night to approve a lease for the Framingham Public School administration to move to the Perini Building at 73 Mount Wayte Avenue.

The vote comes a week after the Framingham Selectmen voted to table the lease, over issues of contamination at the site.

There is an Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and U.S. Environmental Protection (EPA) restriction on the property dating back to a 2000 investigation of the property, which states that children should not be in the building long term. 

However, Tuesday night the Framingham School Committee heard an updated report from the consultant hired by the Framingham Health Board, that said the property is safe for children and adults.

Consultant Carol Bois told the School Committee she did not see evidence of contamination at the site.

She told the School Committee the slabs, stemming from underground oil leaks reported in 2000, are doing its job.

U.S. EPA and MassDEP reports between 2000 and 2007 cite PCBs and oil contamination on the site.

Selectmen still would need to approve the 5-year lease at $328,000 a year to lease a floor at the Perini building and 80 parking spaces for School administration and the Parent Information Center.

Selectmen are scheduled to take up the issue again at its Tuesday, July 22 meeting.

The move is needed, as the King Administration Building is scheduled to become the town's ninth elementary school with kindergarten classes scheduled to start their in August.

If the Selectmen do not approve the lease, there is a backup plan where administrative staff could continue to stay at King but it is not ideal.

Framingham Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott was not at the meeting. School Committee members voting Tuesday were Beverly Hugo, Andy Limeri, Jim Stockless and Heather Connolly.

Even if the Selectmen vote to approve the lease on Tuesday, the Parent Information Center is likely to stay at King when the schools re-open in August through October and maybe the end of 2014.