When Whittemore and Fitzgerald elementary schools open their doors next week to a fresh batch of students, the former Fitch and Bright school buildings will sit empty.
The city must now decide what to do with the former Lawrence School on Trapelo Road, South Middle School on Moody Street, Bright Elementary School on Grove Street and Fitch Elementary School on Ash Street.
Mayor Jeannette McCarthy said there is talk about declaring the buildings surplus. She has asked the School Committee to address the issues at its next meeting.
Even though the buildings are no longer filled with children, some are the meeting places for city programs and departments.
The Lawrence School is currently used by the city's facilities department, for instance. The former South Middle School currently houses the Waltham Family School, Parent Information Center, Power Program and Even Start Program.
McCarthy said she would like to use South Middle School as an arts and community center, which she said would be compatible with the programs already offered there.
"That would be my recommendation to the City Council, and I believe several councilors are in favor," she said. "The School Committee has to decide first."
McCarthy said new Superintendent Peter Azar will have to make a recommendation to the School Committee, who will in turn make a recommendation to McCarthy on what to do with the buildings. She will then pass on the final recommendation to the City Council.
"There's a feeling that's shared by myself and several other (city) councilors with the new schools being built that they have to concentrate on programming," McCarthy said. "They can't be in the business of leasing schools."
At large City Councilor David Marcou said McCarthy should have started the process a year ago.
"We're going to have these buildings sitting there instead of having a yearlong debate and coming up with the best solution of what to do," he said. "A proposal should have been offered to work on instead of waiting until they were going to be vacant next week. Why wait until Sept. 3 for the School Committee to talk about it?"
Marcou said there is not a defined plan among council members as to what to do with the buildings.
"I want to do what's best for the community," Marcou said. "I certainly don't think in this economy we can lease these buildings for low money. I think we owe it to the taxpayers."
McCarthy said next week will be the third time she's placed the issue on the School Committee's meeting agenda for discussion.
"I think the School Committee shares my concern that the buildings need to be reused," she said. "I know the only impediment is they were swing schools so now the decision can be made."
School Committee member Harold Walker said immediate discussions will be concerned with what they should do with the Fitch, South and Bright buildings.
"Our feeling on the School Committee is we should release to the city the (former) schools that are not part of our plans," he said. "That would only make sense."McCarthy said another factor that will come into play when determining the future use of the school buildings is relocating the School Department central offices from the high school to another facility.
"At this point we'd have to consult with ward councilors and the neighborhoods," McCarthy said. "Part of the problem is we're not sure if the School Committee is going to use South or Fitch for the central offices."
Walker said the committee members began discussing this issue over a year ago, and they all agreed to start making serious plans in September.
"We were looking to see what soon-to-be-former schools would have the best parking and would be the best match meeting the needs for central offices," he said. "The high school in the last few years has become an office building. It was never intended to be an office building."
The School Committee will meet Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the high school.
Jeff Gilbride can be reached at 781-398-8005 or jgilbrid@cnc.com.
