Fall River is starting school soon, but there's still no space for expanding pre-K program

Jo C. Goode, The Herald News
·4 min read

FALL RIVER — The School Department is still grappling with trying to find space for its expanding pre-K program, although there appears to be a few more options as the start of school for the young students begins after Labor Day.

Ken Pacheco, the district’s chief operating officer, said a second round of requests for proposals for the School Department opened for bids on Aug. 16.

Pacheco had to throw out the lone bid for a former day care facility at 951 Slade St., last month, because the owner, Alvaro Amaral, didn’t do the proper paperwork for the more than $380,000 a year rental.

Amaral put in another bid in the second round. According to Pacheco, “This time it was slightly higher” for the proposal, which would give the School Department an extra five classrooms.

In this Herald News file photo, Andrea Curran teaches a kindergarten class at Fall River's Silvia Elementary School.
In this Herald News file photo, Andrea Curran teaches a kindergarten class at Fall River's Silvia Elementary School.

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Commonwealth Landing is an option

Owners of Commonwealth Landing, including developer Tony Cordeiro, put in a bid to provide 9,000 square feet on the first floor of the mixed-use building.

With a starting rental price tag of the first of a three-year lease at $275,000, Pacheco said the Commonwealth Landing bid includes the price of the buildout to provide six pre-K classrooms.

Commonwealth Landing housed Bristol Community College classes in the past; Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School currently operates its nursing program there.

Commonwealth Landing's owners have submitted a bid to rent space to the city for the School Department's expanding pre-K program.
Commonwealth Landing's owners have submitted a bid to rent space to the city for the School Department's expanding pre-K program.

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Declining to publicly identify another possible rental opportunity of a recently shuttered private school, Pacheco said he’s waiting to get guidance from the state’s Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance on whether the new facility can be considered after the RFP was issued.

“It would give us five classrooms and that was the bare minimum, but it would be turnkey-ready and I could put kids in there on the first day of school.” said Pacheco.

Pacheco said he hopes to meet with school officials and the School Committee this week to decide on their options for classroom space.

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Brian Niro leads a class at Tansey Elementary School in Fall River.
Brian Niro leads a class at Tansey Elementary School in Fall River.

Adding 127 more students to Pre-K

Last year the school district served 257 pre-K students, and the goal this school year is to add an additional 127 students from 3 to 4 years old.

As a last resort if renting space is delayed, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education gave the School Department permission to stagger the start times for pre-K students as long as they make up classroom time at the end of the year.

Pacheco said the option to rent classroom modules is still on the table, and he’s already been speaking with the company that rents the structures at Tansey Elementary School.

The old Atlantis Charter School building is at 2501 S. Main St., Fall River.
The old Atlantis Charter School building is at 2501 S. Main St., Fall River.

Purchasing a building for Pre-K

Additionally, the School Department and the city have had serious discussions about purchasing a permanent building to house the expanding pre-K program in the future.

Earlier this month, only one bidder answered the acquisition RFP, the former Atlantis Charter School on 2501 S. Main St. owned by Somerset developer Kenneth Mollicone.

The company, Contractors Landing owned by Mollicone and Planning Board member John Ferreira, put in the bid for the RFP for the school and a lot in the rear, for $6.4 million.

That price tag does not include the build-out options Ferreira included in the RFP totaling more than $2.7 million that is at the discretion of the city whether they accept additional construction or upgrades with Contractors Landing.

Included in the bid package, a purchase and sales agreement between Mollicone and Ferreria for the latter to buy the former charter school for $3.1 million.

However, according to the purchase and sales document that sale between the two men is contingent on whether the city agrees to purchase the school bid package for the asking $6.4 million.

The school side has vetted the acquisition RFP, Pacheco said.

“Our side is done,” said Pacheco. “The School Committee has looked at it. There was nothing in the RFP that shouldn’t have been in it and everything is in it that was supposed to be. So, the bid was a legal bid, no issues whatsoever.”

So now, said Pacheco, he’ll be working with Mayor Paul Coogan’s administration “to see what our options are.”

The School Department and School Committee, while they can rent space, do not have the ability to buy property under the law.

Pacheco said the city could use Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds, the federal government’s COVID-related funding to schools.

But Pacheco added it’s a very, long and arduous process to get approvals to use the federal dollars to purchase property.

If the city does decide to purchase the former charter school, the funding will still have to be determined.

Jo C. Goode may be reached at jgoode@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism and subscribe to The Herald News today!

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Fall River needs more classrooms to expand Pre-K school program