School board pursuing CPA funds for tennis courts

The School Committee decided Thursday night to proceed with a joint application with selectmen to renovate the Canton High School tennis courts and not relocate the site. Both boards have filed an application with the Community Preservation Committee.

With the project tentatively pegged at $360,000, the committee will ask for $260,000 from the CCPC and will divide the remaining $100,000 cost between the school department and selectmen. Both committees feel the high school courts are a community resource, used by students and CHS tennis players as well as the general public.

Committee members had considered relocating the courts to either another part of the school grounds or somewhere off site; however, they determined that doing so would be too expensive and time consuming.

School Business Manager Ken Leon said the courts are very close to being ruled ineligible by the Hockomock League and many of the league’s coaches have complained. The condition of the courts was also identified as a major need for improvement in the latest high school accreditation report.

George Comeau of the CCPC told the committee Thursday night that its application had passed the initial stage of approval and qualifies for funding under the outdoor recreation component of the Community Preservation Act. Comeau said between six and 12 projects addressing the needs of affordable housing, outdoor recreation, and historic preservation have been submitted to date.

The next stage is a formal project review by the CCPC with a deadline of December 1. Comeau said the town will have $500,000 to spend on CPA projects this year, with at least 10 percent going to open space and recreation, affordable housing, and historic preservation. The CCPC’s formal recommendation will be sent to the May town meeting for final approval.

In other school news:

* GMS Principal Dr. William Conard reported that the “Wheel-a-Bration” fundraiser, which kicked off October 1, will culminate with a student participation day October 17 (today). The rain date is tomorrow, October 18. The event raised $23,000 last year alone and has raised more than $100,000 over the past six years. The fundraiser pays for field trip transportation, in-school programming, and other items needed outside of the school budget. Each student chooses from among activities that promote physical fitness, such as biking, rollerblading, shooting hoops, walking and skateboarding. Students then complete their chosen activity to earn a pledge. The goal is $30 per student.

* The committee formally voted to accept ownership of the high school after completion of renovations and final review and inspection by the Building Renovations Committee.

* Granatino said he will hold a parents’ forum sometime this fall to solicit feedback on possible changes to school start times. Granatino said he hopes to give his recommendations before the committee starts its budget process in December. If any changes do occur, they would be implemented at the start of the next school year.

* A focus group, headed by a former member of the state attorney general’s office, will meet with students, staff, parents and community boards in late October and early November to discus school climate, accessibility, and civil rights. Sessions are tentatively scheduled for October 28, October 30, and November 4.

* The committee will next meet on Thursday, October 24.

Canton Cable and CHS TV celebrate 30-year partnership

CHS Cable TV and Canton Community Television celebrated a successful and productive 30-year partnership. CCTV recently re-powered a state-of-the-art studio at CHS and provides high-end professional equipment at no cost to the Canton Public Schools to broadcast from the high school TV studio.

At Thursday night’s meeting, committee members heard presentations from TV production students Matt Chamberlain and Mia Tess, teacher and CPS Cable Access Coordinator Ed McDonough, and CCTV President Joe Donnelly, and McDonough thanked Donnelly and longtime station manager Tanya Willow for their many years of support. CCTV has also provided various training opportunities, bringing in professional cable technicians from TD Boston Garden as well as NESN cameraman and Canton native Bill Titus and professional engineer David Wells.

Tess told the committee that recent CHS graduates Greg Chamberlain, Haylee Russman, Jon and Lauren Cortizo, and Jack McNamara are all employed in the media. McNamara, who works for ESPN, was nominated for an Emmy Award. Jon Cortizo, who earned a student Emmy for cinematography, works as an assistant cameraman for the television show “The Good Wife” on CBS.

Donnelly told the committee how proud the station is to invest in the youth of Canton. “We recognize the impact of how it promotes student learning and that it has become part of the fabric of the entire Canton community,” he said. “It is our intent to support this program for many years to come.”

School Superintendent Jeff Granatino said, “The generosity of the entire CCTV team has been instrumental in making our television production program one of the strongest in the commonwealth. They are providing our students with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, which allow them to gain skills they will use when they enter the field of communications. Our students have gained national recognition for their work in this area, and a large part of that, beyond the great work of Mr. McDonough, is because of the successful partnership we have forged with CCTV over the years.”

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Posted by Mike Berger on Oct 17 2013. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.