Quabbin School Committee Ratifies Contracts, Orders Asbestos Abatement at Oakham School

BARRE -- June 8, 2017, Quabbin Regional School Committee ratifies multiple union contracts and lays out an asbestos abatement plan for Oakham Center School estimated to cost between $70,000 and $85,000. Superintendent Maureen Marshall told the committee and an assembled community task force Thursday that deteriorating asbestos-containing floor tile and mastic in the school's kitchen, cafeteria, and two adjacent hallways must be removed following a May 30 remediation order, triggered in part by a dishwasher failure that caused water damage and worsened tile conditions. Business Director Cheryl walked through a procurement timeline under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 149 that she said would prevent a contractor from beginning work until late August or September, with the building potentially unavailable until mid-November. A public meeting was set for June 13 and an Oakham town meeting appropriation vote for June 20. Marshall flatly rejected community rumors that the closure is a pretext to permanently shut the school, stating that only a town meeting vote, not the superintendent or the School Committee, has the authority to close it. The committee also voted to convene budget and plant and facilities subcommittees by June 14 ahead of a regional assessment meeting set for June 17 in Hardwick.