The year 2008 promises to hold exciting advances in the Wellesley High School Building Project. See below for the current update.
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~The Wellesley SBC
MSBA meeting set for February 28th
The SBC members and others will be meeting with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) on February 28th. The meeting will be the first for Wellesley since the MSBA announced the list of projects which it has selected to proceed to the Feasibility Study stage.
In an effort to anticipate the MSBA's questions and requests, and to comply with the specific requirements of the MSBA regulations, we are preparing documentation of all studies and evaluations completed to date. Further, we are compiling detailed information on the site and options under consideration in addition to financial data relating to the options and to the school operating and capital budgets.
We are looking forward to engaging with the MSBA in this process and welcome the input, perspectives and experience which they will provide. Productive engagement with the MSBA is the way to secure any level of state reimbursement.
Evolving specifications
At this stage of the process, it is of paramount importance to adapt the project specifications as new or more specific information is received or as decisions are made. In recent weeks, the following refinements to the project specifications have been made:
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The maximum capacity target has increased from 1500 to 1600 students. The Wellesley Public Schools 2007 Enrollment Report provides the most current projections for the next ten years. The projections indicate increasing enrollment until at least 2017, the last year for which a projection is made. At that time, the projection is for 1596 students at WHS.
It is imperative the building project meet the needs of the town into the future and therefore the specifications have been updated to provide for 1600 students. |
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Various specifications for sustainable design ("greenness") have been reviewed and are being incorporated into the options by the architects for consideration by the SBC and PBC.
On January 12th, we held a Green Charrette to review the options for sustainability and level of greenness. We considered options related to the site, water, indoor environment, materials and energy. We are developing the options in order to meet the requirements for the guidelines for the Massachusetts Collaborative of High Performance Schools. Qualification as a a "MA-CHPS" school provides increased state funding for the project. |
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The Asbestos Abatement Policy is under review following community input and School Committee discussion. The Permanent Building Committee (PBC) has oversight of the mandated procedures. There are strict mandates and requirements to asbestos abatement during construction which will be followed. At issue is student access to the building during abatement. The PBC will set the procedures once a determination on the final design is made.
The PBC has stated 1) safety is the overall objective; 2) it will make every effort to carry out abatement procedures during the summer and school vacations; and 3) any abatement during the school day will be undertaken after 4:00 pm. |
Upcoming Meetings
We will continue our weekly meetings of the SBC through March. In addition, we will be refining the two options under consideration in preparation for a final recommendation, contingent upon our progress with the MSBA.
"Moving Forward" Meetings: In an effort to provide an opportunity for community education and input, we will be scheduling "Moving Forward" meetings in March. These meetings will be an opportunity for the residents of Wellesley to see and hear the most current information on the project options and to provide input on decisions at hand. We encourage you to attend one of the scheduled sessions:
Wed, Mar 12 at 7:30 pm Upper Town Hall, for constituent groups
Sun, Mar 16 at 3:00 pm Wellesley Police Station, Community Room
Wed, Mar 19 at 7:30 pm Wellesley High School Library
Tue, Mar 25 at 9:30 am Wellesley Free Library, Wakelin Room
Annual Town Meeting: We will be requesting additional funds for the WHS Building Project at the Annual Town Meeting which starts March 31st. It is our intention, subject to MSBA approval, to seek sufficient funds to carry the project through to a Town Meeting vote.
These funds will be necessary to complete the MSBA Feasibility Stage and enable us to proceed to the Design Phase (for more information, see the MSBA Process Flow).
More detailed information will be made available shortly.
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Reference Articles
Recently added:
Reality Check on the WHS Building, by Steve Gagosian, Member of the SBC and Permanent Building Committee. A cursory look at the condition of the WHS physical plant and state of the systems and structures.
Building for the future, by Tom Goematt, Member of the SBC. A preliminary cost evaluation of the High School options, including the critical factors and variables which impact costs.
Learning from Others, by Cynthia Westerman, Member of the SBC. A summary of the site visits to local high schools which have recently undergone renovation and/or new construction.
For Performance or Sport: The Space Matters, by Suzanne Littlefield, School Committee and SBC Member. A summary of the School Committee decisions regarding design of the Auditorium and Gymnasium spaces to enable the WPS Educational Program.
Enabling Core Values, by the SBC. The key principles (in order of priority) to serve as the foundation for decision-making in the High School Project.
The WHS Project and You, by Katherine L. Babson, Jr., Chair of the SBC. The impact of the High School Project on each and every resident and the commitment to two-way communication.
How Public Education has evolved in Wellesley, by Bella Wong, Superintendent of the Wellesley Public Schools. How the many changes in teaching methods, state and federal mandates to education, and the importance of the extracurricular programs impact the current Educational Program.
WHS Project: The Pieces of the Puzzle, by Bella Wong, Superintendent of the Wellesley Public Schools. A summary of the physical space needed to enable the WPS Educational Program. The resulting "Architectural Educational Program" details what is included and where it is located and as such, becomes the basis for the building design.
WHS Project: The Importance of Site, by Marlene Allen, Member of the School Committee and Chair of the Interboard Land Use Working Group. A summary of the study conducted by the Land Use Working Group to assess the constraints and opportunities afforded by the land parcels adjacent to the current High School site.
SBC Members
Katherine L. Babson, Jr. Selectmen Representative SBC Chairman
Steve Baker Citizen-Architect
Tom Goemaat Citizen-Contractor
Steve Gagosian PBC Representative
Rusty Kellogg Advisory Representative
Andrew Keough High School Principal
Hans Larsen Executive Director
Suzy Littlefield School Committee Representative
Kathy Mullaney PBC Projects Administrator
Cynthia Westerman Citizen-Project Manager
Bella Wong Superintendent of Schools |
