To the Editor: Open Letter to Dale Street Teachers

An Open Letter to Dale Street Teachers:

Dale Street School has consistently been among the top elementary schools in the state -- even earning a 2017 Governor’s Commendation Award, despite poor building conditions. At the end of the day, Dale Street’s track record has little to do with bricks and mortar – its success lies with you, the teaching staff. Thank you!

The goal of Dale@Dale Coalition (which includes educators) has always been to provide you and your fourth- and fifth-grade students with a 21st-century school. But achieving this goal should not put your own future compensation at risk.

Whether for a school building or school budget increases, Medfield’s tax-weary residents can only be asked to bear so much financial burden. More than anyone, our teachers (whose new union contract negotiation period begins Sept. 1, 2021), should consider how the most expensive site selection, Wheelock, will impact future support for school budgets.

Based on numbers submitted to MSBA in December 2020, the Dale Street site was estimated to be between $4 million to $7 million less expensive than Wheelock based on up-front costs alone – without even factoring in the future cost of an empty Dale building.

New water, sewer and electrical lines, traffic mitigation steps, as well as expensive systems to protect our water resources, have nothing to do with educating our children or supporting our teachers. These unneeded expenses simply drive our tax rates even higher, making it harder to invest in our schools where it matters most— our teachers.

Looked at another way, a new 98,000-square-foot school at Wheelock was priced as $630 per square foot versus the Dale Street costs at $590 per square foot for new construction, or $560 per square foot for an addition/renovation.

Once again, this does not factor in mothballing, demolishing, or reusing the existing Dale Street building, or maintenance costs associated with a new building – all of which will be in the many millions and fall squarely on taxpayers’ shoulders. How will taxpayers feel after having the most expensive option, Wheelock, forced on them with an average of at least $700 to $800 added to their annual tax bill (if not more given current market volatility)?

The SBC and pro-Wheelock advocates are promoting a false narrative, and sadly, they are now using teachers in a risky propaganda campaign that works against their own best interests. A new or new/renovated school at Dale Street gives our teachers and students a 21st-century learning experience while saving taxpayers more than $7 million dollars up front and many millions more in the future. But that’s not all – a Dale at Dale plan also protects open space and water, reduces sprawl and benefits downtown vitality, doesn’t create new traffic and safety problems, and allows the community to leverage excess school space for Parks and Recreation programming.

Dale@Dale is pro-teacher, pro-student, and pro-new or new/renovated school. A Dale solution is not only the lower cost/lower tax option, it ultimately enables us to invest more in you, our teachers.

Jerry Potts

Curve St.

Dale@Dale Coalition

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