Sandwich Selectmen Give OK to Collaborative Move into Wing School

The Henry T. Wing School was built in 1927.

SANDWICH – Plans are moving forward on having the Cape Cod Collaborative move into the Henry T. Wing School in Sandwich.

Sandwich Selectmen signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the School Committee that acknowledges that the committee has retained control of the school’s property.

At Annual Town Meeting last year, the custody of the property would have been transferred to selectmen if the committee did not vote to retain it by July 1, 2017.

The school committee has entered into a Letter of Intent with the Cape Cod Collaborative to lease the Wing School for 3 years.

The lease agreement would begin on July 1 and would end on June 30, 2020.

Selectman David Sampson said that it’s a win-win situation for the town and the Collaborative.

“This opportunity benefits both of us, it benefits the Collaborative, it benefits education and it allows us to recover costs at the same time,” said Sampson.

Not all town officials agreed with idea.

Selectman Peter Beauchemin said that he has a number of concerns and doesn’t think it’s worth it to the town.

“I see no value for the people of the Town of Sandwich in this, whatsoever,” said Beauchemin. “We have been asked to do other things with the Wing School, we have done a lot, and I would like to see this passed on.”

Despite the agreement, the town will still continue to look at permanent solutions to the Wing School after the lease has been completed.

Selectman Robert George said that it makes sense.

“It’ll give the board of selectmen time and the townspeople to decided what we want to do,” said George.

The rent for the first year of the lease will be over $83,000 and would be based on occupancy from September 1 until June 30, 2018.

The rent for years 2 and 3 would be based on occupancy from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2020 and would be $100,000 per year.

The money would go to the School District to make repairs to the Wing School and any money left over at the end of the fiscal year would go into the town’s general fund.  

Both the Collaborative and the Sandwich Public Schools will share use of the kitchen, cafeteria and gymnasium at the Wing School.

By JUSTIN SAUNDERS, CapeCod.com Newscenter