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<H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">To:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 2"> </SPAN>Members of the Cabot Community</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></H1>
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<H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">From:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Sarah Ecker and Isabelle Thacker</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></H1>
<div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Co-Chairs, Cabot PTO Political Issues Committee</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></div>
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<div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Date:<SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 2"> </SPAN>October 24, 2007</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></div>
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<div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">We would like to inform you of some new information regarding the Long Range Facilities Plan for Newton’s Schools. As you may be aware, the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has asked Newton to name a top priority school from among the list of three schools (Angier, Cabot and Zervas) identified by Newton earlier this year.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>On Monday night (October 22, 2007), the School Committee<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>discussed this matter and is likely to identify Angier School as Newton’s top priority for state funding for renovation or new construction.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The School Committee will vote on this matter at its next meeting, Tuesday, November 13, 2007.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></div>
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<div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">From the School Committee’s discussion, it is clear that Angier and Cabot are considered the most needy school facilities in our city and that choosing between the two schools is a close call.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Angier and Cabot are Newton’s oldest schools (Angier was built in 1919, Cabot in 1929); they have the smallest classrooms; and they have had the least amount of recent upgrades and investment. </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></div>
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<div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The Long Range Facilities Planning Committee considered three factors in making its recommendation for the top priority school.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The committee looked at: (1) physical condition, (2) educational space needs, and (3) current and projected student enrollment.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>With regard to physical condition and educational space, Cabot and Angier both scored very poorly.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However, when looking at enrollment, the committee identified an advantage in replacing Angier first.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></div>
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<div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The committee noted that a new, larger Angier School (built for 484 students) could, through redistricting, accommodate students from nearby Zervas School.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Zervas is the most overcrowded school in Newton.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If the overcrowding at Zervas is alleviated by a larger Angier School, the Zervas building could remain in use without renovations.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>By contrast, the committee noted, a new building at the Cabot site (also built for 484 students) would serve only the projected growth at Cabot, without adding any additional capacity for the system as a whole.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>These considerations about enrollment tipped the scale in favor of identifying Angier as a top priority.</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></div>
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<div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">For those of us who have followed the facility planning discussion for some time, the selection of Angier is not a surprise – and it is also not a disappointment.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We recognize that the conditions at both Angier and Cabot are sub-standard, and that the city has been asked by the state to start somewhere.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>What is disappointing, though, is that we still do not have a master facility plan to assure us that there is a plan for Cabot, and for our other schools.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The absence of such a plan makes it difficult to deal with identifying any one school as a top priority.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></div>
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<div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Newton</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> has taken some large steps toward development of a facilities plan – the problem is that there hasn’t been much public discussion about it yet.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The architectural firm, HMFH, completed a comprehensive study assessing the condition of all our schools and recommended various options. While the study was published and made available this summer, we are still waiting for it to be presented to the community and discussed.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We understand that a public forum is being planned for early December.</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></div>
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<div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Members of the School Committee have offered to come to Cabot to discuss this matter before their vote on November 13.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Some of the questions we’d like to discuss are:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(1) the likelihood that Cabot would be the second school identified for renovations; (2) the expected time frame for renovations; and (3) the priority of the on-going repair needs at Cabot.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Please let us know if you would like to hear more from the School Committee on this topic and whether you’d welcome the opportunity to share your views with them.</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></div>
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<div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">For a more complete discussion of the recommendation, read the Oct. 18 memo from Jeff Young:</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></div>
<div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN class=msoins0><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><A href="http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee/_documentsFY08/long_range_facilities_planning_10_22_07.pdf" target=_blank><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: purple; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee/_documentsFY08/long_range_facilities_planning_10_22_07.pdf</SPAN></A></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></div>
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<div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">To read the HMFH study, visit:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN class=msoins0><A href="http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee/_documentsFY07/Long_Range_Facilities_Master_Plan_Vol1.pdf" target=_blank><FONT color=#800080>http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee/_documentsFY07/Long_Range_Facilities_Master_Plan_Vol1.pdf</FONT></A></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></div>
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<div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">To indicate interest in a discussion at Cabot with members of the School Committee, contact: </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></div>
<div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Mary Kathryn Fallon: </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><A href="mailto:marykathf@aol.com"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">marykathf@aol.com</SPAN></A></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></div>
<div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Archana Vahalia: </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><A href="mailto:auvpto@aol.com"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">auvpto@aol.com</SPAN></A></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></div>
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<div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">To send an e-mail to the School Committee, write: </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><A href="mailto:schoolcommittee@newton.k12.ma.us"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">schoolcommittee@newton.k12.ma.us</SPAN></A></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></div>
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