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Candidates fault city-district coordination on school building repairs after mold and elevator problems discussed
Summary
Lowell school committee candidates criticized recurring maintenance problems—mold at Pawtucketville and a broken elevator at Bartlett—and called for better prioritization of capital spending and clearer roles between the city and district.
Candidates at a Lowell School Committee forum raised recurring building safety and maintenance issues, citing mold at Pawtucketville and a nonoperational elevator at the Bartlett School as examples of long-standing facilities problems.
Connie Martin said the city is responsible for building maintenance and acknowledged a backlog of deferred maintenance: “the reality is... our school buildings over the last, you know, 20 years have simply not been maintained at the level they should be.” She said the school committee needs to be part of capital-prioritization conversations and described upcoming committee and subcommittee meetings to address capital investments.
Sherry O'Connor Barbosa criticized the contrast between new construction near UMass Lowell and dilapidated public-school buildings and tied facilities to equity: “It almost feels like they're building something here, but half the time they're taking something away.” Zoe Zuniku said the school committee must “step up” and make hard decisions on funding to ensure buildings are safe and functional.
Dominic Lehi said both the city and the school committee share responsibility and said he believed progress has been made compared with earlier years, referencing past thick facility reports that have since been reduced.
What was not resolved: The forum did not produce a city or committee response; candidates described priorities and pledged to press the city and administration for fixes if elected.
Ending: Candidates recommended increased transparency and stronger coordination with the city for capital projects and encouraged voters to consider facility management in their choices.
