Braintree High School Getting Repair To Do List Room-By-Room

Braintree MA

17 September, 2021

4:50 PM

Description

BRAINTREE, MA — As a response to the start of classes being delayed twice at Braintree High School, Mayor Charles Kokoros and school officials said they will inspect every room in the building and compile a list of needed repairs. At first, Braintree High School's opening was scheduled for Sept. 1. It was delayed three days when a bathroom water leak damaged the building's electrical system. Then, school was delayed another day for asbestos testing after a floor tile got pulled up during maintenance work. Kokoros said the inspections will focus on the school's plumbing system, faucets in science classrooms and electrical panels throughout the building. The mayor said making repairs at the high school is his "most important thing right now." "The goal is to address the immediate issues that need to be addressed," Kokoros told the school committee during its meeting Monday night. "I'm not saying we aren't going to have a problem tomorrow," Kokoros added. "We're trying to avoid at least the major problems by getting a visual." Braintree High School is currently Braintree's youngest school. This will soon change once the new South Middle School is built, but as of 2021, the district hasn't seen a new school get built since 1972. Kokoros in an interview last week said he wants to explore new ways to improve conditions at the high school, but when asked about the potential for state funding for a new building, the mayor was less optimistic, citing the strict priorities the Massachusetts School Building Authority uses for deciding which districts get money. "The two top issues that get people money are overcrowding and not having a solid building," Kokoros said. "The building is extremely well-built. It's just unfortunate the infrastructure needs a lot of work." School Committee Chair Tom Devin also said he's frustrated by the conditions of the schools, but said the committee has worked hard to make fixes. "I don't think there's a person in this room satisfied by the condition of our schools," Devin said. "We have old buildings, and it's taken decades to get like this, and there's been neglect. We're getting there, and we will get there, a little at a time." Interim Superintendent Jim Lee said the district has recently spent over $10 million in HVAC repairs alone, and said school officials will continuously work to address problems. "A lot of this equipment is old," Lee said. "We have been chipping away over and over again at the issues that the school system confronts as it relates to its facilities."