Barre School Committee Forms Panel to Monitor Oakham Asbestos Dispute

BARRE — June 28, 2017 — Barre School Committee approves $236,000 in budget transfers and forms a panel to oversee a disputed asbestos abatement at Oakham Center School. The committee voted unanimously at its June 28 meeting to approve six year-end line-item transfers within the FY17 budget, the largest of which shifted $107,000 from benefits and $100,000 from charter tuition into regular education instructional support. The meeting then turned to Oakham Center School, where Superintendent Cheryl Morley described a contentious June 23 site visit at which a state DEP representative, identified as Donald Healey, told officials that a "spot abatement" of the school's deteriorating 43-year-old asbestos tile floors could technically meet minimum air-quality standards — despite the district's contractor ATC recommending full removal. Oakham Town Meeting had authorized up to $105,000 from stabilization funds for the project. Morley warned that a partial cleanup conducted outside proper Chapter 149 procurement channels could expose the district to fines and long-term civil liability, and the committee formed an ad hoc subcommittee to monitor the process pending a response from the Oakham Board of Selectmen.