High School Building Committee (HSBC) Meeting #40 Minutes

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Wayland Town Building

School Committee Conference Room

 

Attendees

HSBC members: Lea Anderson, Dianne Bladon, Steve Breit, Brian Chase, Jim Howard, Fred Knight, David Lash, Mary Lentz, Joe Lewin, Cindy Lombardo, Eric Sheffels, Jennifer Steel, Karen Talentino

Absent: Josh Bekenstein, Steve Tise

Ex Officio members: Gary Burton, Bob Gordon

 

Call to order – HSBC Chairman, Lea Anderson, called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m.

 

Review of 1989-1993 Wayland High School Renovation

 

Fred Knight presented a summary of the work that was done on WHS as part of a $12.8 million school building project that included reopening Loker School, and renovating Claypit Hill, Happy Hollow and the Middle School. At the time of the renovation, the high school campus was 30 years old except for the Math/English building (25 years) and Media Center/Admin building (18 years).

 

Fred reported that the WHS renovation began in 1989 with some roof replacement. In 1991 a phased renovation over 20 months followed. The project cost $6.4 million dollars and included:

            - Roofing

            - Doors and windows (replaced all doors and some windows)

- Finishes and specialties, including new dropped ceilings in most classrooms, upgraded Little Theater stage and lighting

-Plumbing upgrade

- HVAC: Encasement of the heating tunnels containing asbestos, new boilers, replacement of heating distribution system (Field House included)

- Electrical system upgrade

- Site work: replaced football bleachers, rebuilt tennis courts, added drainage to football field, improved paving

- Concrete, masonry, metals, carpentry, including addition of brick to crumbling stucco of Media Center

 

Fred estimated that based on the CPI (Consumer Price Index) this project would cost around $10 million in 2006.

 

Discussion followed:

            - Cost in 2006 would be much higher than CPI indicates – probably 2 to 3 times the cost in 1990.

            - There was some “exuberance” at the time about the project lasting 20 or more years.

- The project was contingent on SBA funding; voters approved the debt exclusion, but not an operating override on the same ballot.

- Reimbursement was around 60%.

- Roofs were probably guaranteed for 15 years.

 

 

Review of 2002 High School Feasibility Study

 

Members of the High School Feasibility Study Committee (HSFSC) reviewed the work of that committee. Fred Knight, Cindy Lombardo, Bob Gordon, and Gary Burton were members of the HSFSC.

 

The Town appropriated $50,000 at the 2002 Annual Town Meeting for a high school feasibility study. The committee employed the architectural firm, Dore and Whittier, and project manager, Jeff Andrews to address the concerns of the physical integrity of the facility and the crowded conditions. Among the conclusions of the WHSFS were:

- Build for an enrollment of 1200 students. The enrollment projections at the time were for 1000 students in 3-5 years with potential for 1200 in the longer term.

- Dore and Whittier was asked to provide a range of options and produced 4 design categories ranging from deferred maintenance and code upgrade estimated to cost $12 million to a new school of 220,000 sq. ft. at around $50 million.

 

Discussion followed:

- At the time of the study, some people were critical of the lack of detail. In reality we got a lot for the money. With the Green Schools grant, the town paid about $35,000 for the study.

- The HSFS came to the same conclusion as subsequent studies.

- HSFS said that the structures were sound, but very small classrooms were a fundamental problem.

- The conclusion of the HSFS was on target.

- The group worked hard to try to maintain the facility.

- The HSFSC articulated that there were three major shortcomings – age and condition of the buildings, changes in the educational program over the last 30 years not being met by the facility, and increasing enrollment.

 

Review of 2003 High School Study Committee

 

Members of the High School Study Committee (HSSC) reviewed the work done in 2003 by approximately 55 volunteers. Eight of the HSSC participants – Lea Anderson, Dianne Bladon, Steve Breit, Jim Howard, Mary Lentz, Cindy Lombardo, Karen Talentino and Josh Bekenstein are HSBC members.

 

Following the defeat of a request for design funds in the spring of 2003, the Wayland School Committee established the HSSC and charged the group with recommending a plan for the general modernization of Wayland High School.

 

Dianne Bladon reviewed the Community Relations Subcommittee work. Communications activity included conducting five open forums with tours of WHS, providing local media with press releases, columns and letter, displaying sandwich boards and flyers around town, contacting community leaders about forums, coordinating with WayCam to run a video tour of WHS, distributing a survey to forum attendees and documenting the results, and posting the results of public comments.

 

Lea Anderson summarized the report of the Enrollment Subcommittee which predicted that WHS enrollment would reach 1,000 students in 2007, grow slightly larger between 2007 and 2013 to 1,100 students, and remain large (around 1,000) until 2020.

 

Karen Talentino reviewed the Educational Program Subcommittee work. She said that the group attempted to do an in depth look at the educational program. They talked to teachers, studied best practices in other schools, looked at professional standards, benchmarked against other schools in academic classroom size, athletic facilities, arts, technology. The HSSC toured several schools in the area including Lexington High School, Weston High School, and Westborough High School.

 

The subcommittee concluded that WHS needed larger and more classrooms, upgraded science and technology, expanded arts space, additional physical education facilities, expanded cafeteria and common space and flexibility for changes later.

 

The group analyzed the changes in the educational program over 30 years and quantified the number of seats lost to special education, guidance, computer labs, offices as well as the much greater participation in science, foreign language, performing and fine arts, and athletics. The group estimated that about 500 classroom seats were lost making a school of 800-900 students feel as crowded as it did in the early 1970s with nearly 1300 students.

 

Steve Breit reviewed the Structure and Grounds Subcommittee work. He reported that Sid Bowen, a school architect and Wayland resident, led the group through a thorough process of analyzing the Dore and Whittier report. The committee started out thinking (hoping?) that renovation would work. The sub-committee concurred with the Feasibility Study. They did not come to a specific recommendation on the most appropriate solution, but concluded that WHS buildings need to be renovated or replaced to serve the educational needs of our children. They recommended asking the Town for $355k for preliminary design work to determine the best approach.

 

The group recalled that the Finance Subcommittee estimated the cost ranging from $35M to $45M and compared this to benchmarks of 67 Massachusetts school projects. The subcommittee also analyzed taxpayer costs. At the time it noted that interest rates were low and construction costs were falling.

 

Discussion on the HSSC work included:

            - We should consider educational trends since the last study.

            - Wayland has not seen a significant exodus of students to private school.

- It would be useful to analyze enrollment again, given the lower numbers at the elementary grades.

- It is difficult to link the effect of new school buildings on property value.

- What changed between the failed vote of April 2003 and the successful vote of Nov. 2003?

 

Next Steps – The HSBC discussed getting help understanding the MSBA process. The following points were stated:

- We should act as if we are going to be selected by MSBA to proceed. That means developing a step by step plan for submitting various requirements of the MSBA.

- We will need to know what to ask HMFH and Turner in the way of help.

- It depends on how much credit MSBA gives Wayland for the work already done.

- If we are going to make significant changes in the proposal, we will need professional help.

- Wayland is one of about 5 high schools that weighed in on 7 of the 8 statutory criteria.

- We will discuss cutting elements of the project or a segmented approach.

- We should identify someone on the MSBA oversight committee to talk to.

 

Action items for the next meeting on Nov. 16

            - Work on finding or developing a time line for the process – Lea, Dianne

- Read the MSBA regulations, the White Papers on Existing Conditions and Educational Programming, and the Preliminary Design Report Chapters 1-4 and Appendix 12 - All

- Write a letter to Katherine Craven offering Wayland as a test site for the process – Dr. Burton

- Send links to assigned reading - Fred

 

Motion – A motion was made by David Lash and seconded by Mary Lentz to approve the minutes of HSBC meeting #39 held on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006.

 

Vote – The motion was approved unanimously - 12 in favor, 0 opposed.

 

Comments and questions from observers: There were no comments.

 

Adjournment – The HSBC adjourned at 9:45 p.m.

 

Observers: Pat Abramson, Janet Correia, Sam DiSavino, Steve Goldstein, Molly Upton, Lisa Valone