For the past four weeks, the School Committee has presented information at public-input sessions
to gather feedback from residents regarding the upcoming debt-exclusion vote on 1 April and the two
school-related warrant articles (25 & 26) that are scheduled to come before voters at the Town Meeting
beginning on 3 April. In these sessions, we have heard from many residents, some of whom fully support
our planning efforts to modernize the High School facilities and others who express concerns. We write
here to review the opinions we've heard, and to assure residents that our goal remains to continue
planning for a cost-effective way to satisfy the educational needs of the High School—just as we have
done for the elementary schools and the Middle School.
What has the School Committee learned in the past month? A lot. There is agreement among
many that our proposal to spend $375,000 for a schematic design and to form a Building Committee are
reasonable next steps—ones that keep this important project moving forward but are conservatively
responsive to the recently-announced moratorium on state reimbursement for school building
construction. Nevertheless, the magnitude of the ultimate project (estimated to cost $40-50M), coupled
with the potential that it may receive no aid from the state, scares many. We propose to steer a middle
course that accommodates both perspectives. Our charge to the Building Committee will be to satisfy the
educational needs of the High School in the most cost-effective manner possible, starting with a thorough
review of the analysis and recommendations of the High School Feasibility Study Committee (HSFSC).
We have heard from some who greatly value Wayland High School and its distinctive
architectural design and are concerned by the prospect that some or even most of its buildings might be
replaced. The HSFSC report outlines four categories of approaches to modernizing and expanding the
High School, which range in scope from building a new school entirely to adding capacity with a new
classroom building coupled with renovation of existing buildings. Surprising as it may seem, the
complications of renovation in phases and the requirements for complying with revised building codes
push the cost of renovation to be comparable to new construction. In recommending continued planning,
the HSFSC has set important criteria for deciding among project options, including minimizing disruption
of the school's educational operation, retaining the field house shell, maintaining the current open feel of
the campus, and enabling the implementation of new technologies and "green school" concepts. With no
design decisions having been made, we stress that our main objective is simply this: to keep the project
moving forward, but to do so with an open mind and with attention to keeping costs as low as reasonably
possible.
Some have questioned why the High School can be considered overcrowded with an enrollment
projected at ~1000 by 2007, when the facility housed more than 1200 in the 1970's (see the TM Warrant
Article 25 for a graph). The answer is that the High School was extremely overcrowded in the 70's, and
significant capacity-reducing changes in space usage have occurred in the interim. Spaces now dedicated
to special education, guidance, computer and language laboratories, new technology storage, and science
facilities, together with a general movement toward reduced class sizes, have combined to leave the High
School with substantially less room for teaching students than it enjoyed 30 years ago. Documented
reductions in capacity total almost 400, the details of which can be accessed
here.
In relative terms, and even forecasting future enrollments
conservatively, the High School is on track to experience extraordinary overcrowding. More to the point,
we are planning for another 30-50 years. High enrollments may persist. New construction continues,
with the Planning Board estimating the potential for 20% more homes to be built in town. Empty nesters
selling to families with young children is well documented, but only ~30% of homes have school-age
children currently. The potential for enrollment growth posed by this phenomenon is thus enormous.
Finally, the marginal cost to increase capacity is modest (~$10,000/student), so adding a classroom
building to allow room for 1200 is cost-effective. Overall, the need for new space is an undeniable reality
that we need to address.
The School Committee has heard from some that the announced cost of a new High School,
potentially as much as $50M, is too great a burden for this community to bear, especially when the
economy is bad and state reimbursement cannot be assured. The School Committee would remind voters,
however, that this town has never overbuilt its schools, preferring to commit resources to people and
programs rather than bricks and mortar. In 1956-57, the Claypit Hill and Loker Elementary Schools were
built with identical architectural plans. In 1989-1992, renovations to all of the schools were completed
within budget. In the late 1990's, low-cost modular additions at all three elementary schools were
implemented to accommodate enrollment growth. In 2000, state guidelines allowed more than $13M to
be spent on the Middle School, but we chose instead to spend $10.8M on improvements that have resulted
in a truly revitalized physical plant. Our school buildings stand as testament to the fiscal discipline and
sobriety with which we approach construction. We assure voters that building in a cost-effective manner
will be our guiding philosophy with the High School project.
Although it is impossible to know the exact price tag of a modernized Wayland High School
complex, the School Committee remains committed to holding down costs. Cost reductions through
specific project selections, phasing decisions, and even creative financing alternatives should state
reimbursement not be restored are all very much on the table for consideration. But at the end of the day,
Wayland residents need to trust that their elected School Committee representatives will listen
responsibly to all voices in the community, and then do the right thing for the town and its children. We
think we have earned such trust, but voters will in all events have several opportunities to register their
views at the polls as this project unfolds.
The School Committee is well aware that the economy is hurting many in town. Out of respect
for those who have always supported the schools, now is not the best time to undertake a large
construction project. Rather, it's a time to take measured steps to continue the planning process. We
think that proceeding with schematic design is reasonable. We are committed to satisfying the
educational needs of Wayland High School in a manner that achieves capacity goals and at a cost that
voters will approve.
The $375,000 that the School Committee is requesting will allow us to continue an essential
planning process. This planning process began with the feasibility study, and must continue. While we
wait for the economy to improve and to see what the state will do regarding school building assistance, it
is critical that we use the days and months ahead constructively. The decisions we make today will most
certainly impact Wayland's future. We urge your support for the High School initiatives to be voted at
Town Meeting.
Wayland School Committee
Fred Knight, knightway@attbi.com
Jeff Dieffenbach
Lea Anderson
Lori Frieling
Robert Gordon
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