By Andreae Downs

Globe Correspondent / January 25, 2009

Schools Superintendent Bill Lupini did it elsewhere, as did Peter Zawadzki, director of Brookline Access Television. Now the ink is dry on the contract, the architects are working full throttle, and the two are key players as Brookline attempts to follow suit this fall.

That, at least according to the plan, is when the town's community television station should move its operations into bigger digs at Brookline High School, with construction starting in June. The vision is scheduled to be presented Tuesday to the Board of Selectmen (and to anyone with a Brookline cable connection or Internet access, at www.batv.org).

Zawadzki sees the move as an opportunity to capitalize on the enthusiasm, energy, and availability of Brookline's youth - vital human capital in the nonprofit TV world. Lupini sees it as a way to get the latest in high-tech equipment and video training for the high school, free. Both have done this before - Lupini in Beverly and Zawadzki in Watertown.

"I saw advantages for the school system in this partnership," Lupini said. "There are natural advantages for Access and for students."

Will Slotnick, president of the station's board, agreed.

"These are our future producers," he said of high school video students. "I have a feeling they'll quickly want to produce their own content - and they'll show us what's next."

In Beverly, Lupini said, students went on to become staff at the access station, and several moved into television careers.