9 10 2026 Fall River School Committee - Facilities and Operations Subcommittee

The Fall River School Committee's Facilities and Operations Subcommittee met on September 10, 2026, to discuss multiple district capital, operational, and facility matters. Chief Operating Officer Ken Pacheco provided an update on the administration building window replacement project funded in part by Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds, explaining that bids for installation came in significantly higher than the initial $400,000 estimate—ranging from $700,000 to $1.3 million. Committee members discussed purchasing the custom windows directly, phasing installations, addressing lead abatement, and updating building safety access and handicap entry door push-pad protocols. The subcommittee also reviewed school traffic flow and arrival/dismissal operations following a $65,000 engineering traffic study, noting marked improvements at schools like Fonseca, Greene, and Letourneau.

Updates were provided on the Early Learning playground at the Bishop Connolly site, where work was temporarily delayed after hitting an unmarked water valve, prompting committee requests for temporary safety fencing around the construction zone. Member Collin R. Dias raised concerns regarding the pending Purchase and Sale agreement for the Bishop Connolly property and requested that school administration obtain the draft contract from Corporation Counsel Alan Rumsey to review potential long-term facility-use covenants before it reaches final diocesan and Vatican approval. The committee voted unanimously to refer the purchase and sale update to the full School Committee.

Finally, the committee discussed renovations at the PACE facility, where Room 62 was being converted for approximately $20,000 to $23,000 into consolidated director office spaces, prompting discussion on creating a multi-year facilities plan averaging $600,000 to $800,000 annually across the district's 19 buildings. The subcommittee concluded with a review of summer overtime expenditures across custodial, transportation, and groundskeeping departments, addressing approval protocols and maintenance at B.M.C. Durfee High School before adjourning.

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