Recap of November 24th School Committee Meeting; Next Meeting this Tuesday, December 1st to be Entirely Devoted to the Bancroft Project

As noted in the post below, the School Committee spent time under the Communications portion of its agenda on November 24th receiving information from the School Department and Plant & Facilities in response to questions the Committee had. Below is a very general recap of the information we received; we aim to have more detailed data posted, as appropriate, on the school district website shortly.

Meanwhile, follow-up questions will be addressed this Tuesday, December 1st at 7:15 pm in a joint meeting with the School Committee, School Building Committee, and the design team from Symmes, Maini, & McKee. The meeting will be held in the School Committee Room, 36R Bartlet Street, second floor. Please plan to attend.

1. Cost of Keeping Shawsheen Open Indefinitely: Joe Piantedosi, Director of Plant & Facilities, provided an itemized list of building improvements that would have to be addressed within the next five years in order to keep Shawsheen open as a school. These include accessibility requirements, aging building systems, and code issues (including seismic protection, which is now required). It is important to note that if work is done that costs 30% or more of the full and fair cash value of the property, then the entire building is required to comply with all codes. Therefore, it would be impossible to address just the building systems issues without addressing the code issues as well. Mr. Piantedosi's estimate of the total renovation costs for Shawsheen is $7 million. This includes the cost of relocating students during construction, since construction would not be able to be completed within the course of summer vacation months.
2. Cost of Keeping Shawsheen Open in the Short-Run while the New Bancroft is Built: Mr. Piantedosi reported that we should be able to avoid most of the long-term improvements and code issues noted above, but some repairs and upgrades would be required, such as flooring upgrades and a new or used emergency generator. The estimated cost of these projects would be $50,000 to $150,000.
3. General Concept Plan for a Modular-Construction Addition to Sanborn: Mr. Piantedosi provided a general concept plan to illustrate how a new classroom wing could be added to the rear of Sanborn Elementary School. If this addition was used to accommodate the Pre-K program, there would be no impact to the cafeteria or gym space, since Pre-K students do not use those facilities; if it were for K-5 students, however, there would be an impact to the cafeteria and gym which is not addressed in the concept plan. The square footage of this addition would be 10,140 square feet. Construction costs have not yet been researched.
4. Possible Enrollment Scenarios: Dr. Bach presented some initial enrollment scenarios. The first showed what would happen if Shawsheen were closed today, all of its students were sent back to their home districts, and the pre-K program divided up amongst the remaining five elementary schools. In this scenario, class sizes at West Elementary would be unacceptable (e.g. over 35 in grades 2 and 3). Dr. Bach then presented a scenario which showed what would happen if we closed Shawsheen, moved the whole pre-K to the new Bancroft, and expanded the K-5 population at Bancroft with only limited redistricting; this resulted in a total student population of 722 at Bancroft. Since a more full-scale redistricting would bring the total number of students at Bancroft down, the School Committee has asked Dr. Bach to prepare enrollment scenarios which would show the results of a complete redistricting. We've also asked for scenarios that would show the pre-K at Sanborn, the pre-K at Bancroft, and the pre-K split between the two.
5. Order of Magnitude Costs: Lorraine Finnegan of SMMA provided rough estimates of the cost differential for building to different student population sizes. These estimates are based on square footage increases only; please note that other factors can influence construction costs as well. In general, going from 500 to 600 students adds approximately $2.2 million to the overall cost; going from 600 to 700 students adds roughly another $3.7 million to the overall cost. These cost differentials vary because once you increase the number of students past a certain point, you must also increase the size of core facilities such as the gym and cafeteria.
6. MSBA Funding: Recent communication with the MSBA indicates that the state is inclined to pay for the construction costs of Pre-K classroom space if it is located at Bancroft. They would not pay for a corresponding increase in core facility space, because pre-K students do not use the gym and cafeteria. However, like all funding for this site, there is no guarantee of reimbursement until the funding agreement with the MSBA is signed after the schematic design phase.

School Committee Meeting Tuesday, November 24th

Just a quick update to let people know that the School Committee will spend some time under the Communications portion of its agenda tomorrow night receiving more specific information from the School Department and Plant & Facilities in response to some of the questions the Committee had regarding:

1. the cost of keeping Shawsheen open indefinitely
2. the cost of keeping Shawsheen open in the short-run while the new Bancroft is built (after which time Shawsheen would close)
3. a potential general concept plan for a modular-construction addition to Sanborn Elementary
4. some possible enrollment scenarios

I will post the information here after the meeting (probably after Thanksgiving!).

Recap of Concerns from November 14th Meeting with Neighbors

Many thanks to all those who came to the School Building Committee community meeting on Saturday, November 14th at Bancroft. We had a very large turnout, and we are most grateful for the input we received from neighbors and abutters.

Clearly, no matter where the new Bancroft is sited or what its size, there will be impacts on the surrounding neighborhood, traffic patterns, infrastructure, and environment. These impacts are exactly what the Feasibility Study is designed to explore, and we are only at the beginning of that process now. No site location has been identified as a preferred alternative. To date, wetland areas have been identified and a draft survey of the site has been completed.

A note on process: while it is the aim of the School Committee to vote upon an enrollment number for the new Bancroft in early December, we will have an opportunity to amend that number if necessary based upon the results of the traffic analysis or other aspects of the Feasibility Study.

For those who were unable to attend, below is a list of concerns that came up during the neighborhood meeting based on my notes. If I've missed something, feel free to add to the list by posting a comment. Also, please note that neighbor concerns and feedback related to the building site are included in the report that will be sent to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

Concerns related to building the new school behind the existing building:

• would require new site infrastructure (roads, electric, sewer)
• major loss of green space, woods, wildlife habitat
• eliminates walking path used by students, community members
• would exacerbate traffic issues at the intersection of Holt Road and Stinson Road
• proximity to wetlands/flood zones and the existence of a high water table would impact neighboring properties and pose challenges to building design and future expansion opportunities
• would create noise and light pollution in neighborhood with few options to minimize this impact

Concerns related to building the new school in front of the existing building:

• current traffic and safety issues would be exacerbated if the enrollment of the school is increased
• water drainage problems affect Bancroft Road side as well
• illegal parking already an issue when there are special events at Bancroft
• traffic analysis must include rainy days and days that follow a significant snowfall, and must take into account the changing seasonal use of the current playing fields

Further Discussion of Enrollment Options on Tuesday, November 17th at 6:00 pm in the School Committee Room (36R Bartlet Street, 2nd floor)

At its November 10th meeting, the School Committee discussed enrollment options for the new Bancroft School with input from parents and community members. Representatives of the School Building Committee and the design firm of Symmes, Maini & McKee were also in attendance.

During the course of discussion, several issues became more clear:

1. Any option that expands the Bancroft K-5 population above 500 in order to alleviate the overcrowding at Shawsheen requires a redistricting that would affect other schools.
2. The possibility of closing Shawsheen entirely by expanding Bancroft and redistricting is an option that can be explored. We will need further information on potential cost savings and the impact on other schools.
3. If an option involving redistricting is chosen, the decision about exactly how district lines would be re-drawn would not be made until closer to when the new Bancroft opens. However, we would look at possibilities based on current population data to inform our deliberations.
4. Some or all of the Pre-K program could be moved to Bancroft or to another location in town.

School Committee members indicated a willingness to consider the possibility of expanding Bancroft by some number up to 200 students, as well as a willingness to consider the option of either a complete or incremental closing of Shawsheen. Its next meeting, on Tuesday, November 17th at 6:00 pm, will be entirely devoted to a discussion of these options. The School Building Committee will also be in attendance, as will the design team from Symmes, Maini, & McKee.

We very much want to hear input from the community as we discuss what the ideal enrollment number at Bancroft should be given educational objectives, fiscal realities, and district-wide capacity issues; the possible closure of Shawsheen; and the location of the town-wide Pre-K program. The potential impact of a larger Bancroft on the surrounding neighborhood must be considered as well, and this is what the Feasibility Study is designed to determine.

Please attend, and bring us your questions and input! The meeting will be held in the School Committee room, 36R Bartlet Street. Enter through the Senior Center entrance and take the elevator to the second floor.

Site Location for the New Bancroft School

With the Bancroft Feasibility Study well underway, I'd like to clarify one aspect of the decision-making process.  The decision on the population composition of the new school (maximum student enrollment number and grade configuration) will be made by the School Committee, most likely in early December.  The decision on where the new building will be sited on the Bancroft property will be made by the School Building Committee, after the site analysis has been completed by Symmes, Maini, & McKee and after we have heard adequate input from neighbors and abutters.

SMMA is in the process of working on the site analysis now, and while some possibilities have been identified as potential sites, NO option has been prioritized.  In fact, the Building Committee has not yet had any formal discussions to date regarding the specific site location.

Going forward, it is very important that we hear your thoughts on where the building should be sited.  No one knows the land and the neighborhood better than those who live nearby, so your input is critical. We are holding a meeting for neighbors and abutters this Saturday, November 14th, at 9:00 am at the Bancroft cafetorium, at which time we will walk the site and gather your feedback on what does and doesn't make sense.  The architects from SMMA will also be there to listen, to give an update on where we are in the process, and to answer any questions you may have.  Please feel free to come!  Back when the High Plain/Wood Hill Schools were built, neighbors were able to identify reasons why the originally-planned entrance was problematic, and as a result it was moved--so again, we can't emphasize enough that we need to hear your input on the site.

There are certain to be pros and cons to any site option we consider.  As these are formally identified through the Feasibility Study process and through information we collect from neighbors, I will post them here.

School Committee Field Trip Follow-Up

On Friday, November 6th, I travelled with fellow School Committee members Dick Collins, Dennis Forgue, and Deb Silberstein to visit three schools designed by SMMA, the design firm working on the Bancroft Feasibility Study. Joining us were Ihor Raniuk of Andover's Plant & Facilities Department; three members of the SMMA team, including lead architect Alex Pitkin; and parent/PTO representatives Christa DiNapoli (Bancroft) and Laura Gregory (Shawsheen and Bancroft).

It was an energizing day for all of us, and fascinating to see the different ways in which design can interplay with programming to create warm and communal educational settings. Christa DiNapoli has written a great summary of her impressions of the three schools; it can be found in the "comments" section of the November 4th post announcing the field trip (scroll down below). Her reactions to each building closely mirror my own, so rather than repeat her list of "favorite features," I will simply add a few more to what Christa has already noted:

Ditson Elementary School, Billerica

• Full-size gym with a PE office, storage room, and bathrooms attached
• Glassed-in main office with great visibility; it's the first thing you see when you enter the building
• Two large conference rooms for meetings
• Each floor has a staff planning room
• Occupational Therapy/Physical Therapy room

Thoreau Elementary School, Concord

• Lots of daylight at the ends of corridors
• Visually very appealing from the outside; is nestled within a residential neighborhood
• Benches in stairwell landings provide quiet, tucked-away spots
• Remarkably quiet cafeteria due to acoustical ceiling design (we saw it when it was full of kids having lunch)
• Classroom heating via radiant panels in the ceiling--this frees up counter space where heating vents are often located

Argenziano Elementary School at Lincoln Park, Somerville

• Special Kindergarten/First Grade playground tucked into a U-shaped courtyard
• Separate area within each Kindergarten classroom for student lockers
• Hallway display cases of student and class projects
• Glass sidelights and transom windows around classroom doorways so that you can easily see inside/outside

Population Composition Options to be Discussed at November 10th School Committee Meeting

On Tuesday, November 10th, the School Committee will dedicate time early in the agenda to discuss possible population options for the new Bancroft School.  We would like to take the "no idea is a bad idea" approach, and brainstorm various options that would address our space needs both district-wide and long-term.  Population composition options that were suggested at the Building Committee meeting this morning include:

• Current Bancroft population only
• Current Bancroft plus all pre-K programming
• Current Bancroft plus some of the pre-K programming
• Current Bancroft plus up to 200 additional students to be included via redistricting
• Current Bancroft plus all pre-K plus 100 additional students to be included via redistricting

These are just some of the options we will put on the list for consideration.  If you have others, please come to the meeting on November 10th and share them with us!  Or, feel free to add your ideas or comment on those listed here by posting a comment on this blog.  I will continue to add options to the list as ideas come in.  

School Committee & School Building Committee Field Trip

On Friday, November 6th, members of the School Committee and School Building Committee will be taking a "field trip" to visit a variety of elementary schools representing different approaches to designing for size, population composition, and site constraints. Our school tours have been arranged by the design leadership team from Symmes, Maini & McKee, and will include the following stops:

Ditson Elementary School, Billerica--800 students

Thoreau Elementary School, Concord--520 students

Albert F. Argenziano Elementary School at Lincoln Park, Somerville--481 students

Salisbury Elementary School, Salisbury--800 students

We specifically asked to see schools during the day when students were in them so that we can see what different size, space, and population configurations "feel" like. Update to follow after the field trip...