The School Committee met on July 19 to take a formal position on the Roudenbush Community Center building. The members voted unanimously to make it known they’d occupy the building should the current organization not return to it.
Superintendent Everett V. Olsen sent Town Manager Jodi Ross a memo dated July 5 expressing interest in relocating the School Administration offices to the 65 Main St. building from their current location at the Millennium building, 25 Depot St.
The Roudenbush building has housed the community center since 1975 when it was a town department. Roudenbush became a non profit organization in 2009 and is now self-sufficient. But a pending renovation of the building, beginning Sept. 15 has left Roudenbush staffers in doubt as to whether they will return to the building. Executive Director Pattie Pichette has responded to a request for proposals from the town and is awaiting a decision from selectmen. Roudenbush Inc. is not a town department and does not receive municipal funding.
In the meantime, Olsen said he complied with a request from Ross to state his interest in the building by writing the memo.
However, stressed Olsen, the note was not meant to undermine Pichette’s quest to bring her organization back to the building.
“At no time was the intent to come in at the 11th hour and grab that building,” Olsen said. “We’d all love to see them reoccupy that building…But if the selectmen can’t come to an agreement, I do think it’s important to be considered for occupying that building.”
School Committee members Alicia Mallon and Arthur Benoit were absent from the meeting.
Editor’s note: Olsen is scheduled for an on camera interview at the WestfordCAT studio on July 26.
