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Upcoming meetings:
High School Information
Sessions:
Thu, Nov 16 at 7:30pm at Sprague
School
Thu, Nov 30 at 7:30pm at Hardy
School
Sun, Dec 3 at 1:30pm at Wellesley
Police Station
Wed, Dec 6 at 7:30pm at WHS
Auditorium
Wed, Dec 13 at 7:30pm at Schofield
School
Town Government 101
Sunday, November 19, at
1:45pm at Wellesley Police Station. Come to learn:
Who's in charge? How is the budget created?
How does Town Meeting work? and much more.
Guest speakers: Heather Sawitsky, Town Moderator
and Barbara Searle, Chair of Advisory Committee.
Sponsored by the League of Women Voters of
Wellesley.
School Committee
Tuesday, December 12, at
7:00pm at Wellesley High School library. On the
agenda: FY08 Operating Budget
Presentation
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The Wellesley High School Project is at a critical
juncture. School Committee is reviewing options for
a renovated and expanded facility this month with
the goal of bringing a recommendation to the Annual
Town Meeting in March.
It has been a long, involved process to get
to this point, and the effort merits review.
This newsletter issue is devoted to the High School
Project, where it has been and where it is going.
We urge you to attend one of the
Information Sessions scheduled this month
(see column
to the left). These sessions will provide your
best opportunity to ask questions and voice opinions.
For additional information, archived
editions of this newsletter, and links to relevant town
and state websites, please visit our website at
www.committee
21.org.
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| Three Drivers |
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There are three major factors driving the effort to
renovate and expand Wellesley High School:
- facility deterioration
- capacity constraints and increasing
enrollment
- accommodation of curriculum and 21st century
teaching methods
Facility Deterioration
The Town of Wellesley has the responsibility
of maintaining public buildings. Because of
the high cost of maintenance and construction,
annual capital budgets and long-term capital planning
strive to meet immediate needs while anticipating
future ones.
A plan to renovate and expand Wellesley
High School has been a part of capital
planning for over 8 years. A detailed review of the
facility was conducted in May 2003 and found the
following:
“An overview of the physical plant
shows without question that the condition of the
high school is not on a par with most other town
educational facilities and needs expansion and
substantial upgrading.”
Major systems, including the electrical,
HVAC and plumbing systems are reaching the end of
expected lives; the roof is in need of total
replacement; and capacity limits have
been exceeded.
The Massachusetts School Building Authority
(MSBA) also released a review of the high
school facility,
rating the building a 4, the lowest rating on a scale
of 1 to 4.
Accreditation is also of concern: WHS will
be up for accreditation review in the fall of
2007. The last review indicated significant
deficiencies which are still unresolved. It is
anticipated that without an approved and initiated
project plan, accreditation could be in jeopardy.
Capacity Constraints and Increasing
Enrollment
The high school facility has a capacity of
approximately 1100 students. This year, there are
1218 students, with an expected high of 1517 in the
fall of 2016 (this year's second grade students). To
view the most recent WPS Enrollment Report, click here.
Currently, teachers are housed in any space
available, including converted bathrooms, closets and
hallways. In the event a high project is delayed,
temporary classrooms would need to be installed at
great expense.
Ultimately, any new space would be
designed for flexibility to accommodate both peaks
and valleys of enrollment over the next 50 years.
Curriculum and Teaching Method
Accommodation
WHS has provided a functional and
adaptable facility for
over 50 years. But in the last 10 years,
changes in teaching methods and curriculum
have evolved dramatically:
- Differentiated curriculum based on student
need replaces standardized curriculum;
- small group learning replaces group
lecture;
- diverse teaching methods replace classical
approaches;
- technology has and will play an increasing
role in curriculum delivery; the WHS facility cannot
accommodate even current technology.
Further, the current facility does not meet
Special Education and ADA (Americans with Disabilities
Act) requirements forcing a reduced level of service
and a greater number of students placed out of
district at a significant cost.
A facility of the future offers adequately
sized classrooms, more flexible spaces and
accommodates this educational evolution.
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| Committees, Consultants and Focus Groups |
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After years of committees, consultants and focus
groups, the Town of Wellesley is in a very informed
position to make decisions about the High School:
SMMA. The
architects hired to
assess the state of the facility have completed a
systems-level review of the high school facility.
FAC. School committee-appointed
the Facilities Advisory Committee at the
recommendation of Town Meeting. The FAC has
reviewed the SMMA report and provided a recommendation, including a request for a
programming review (a review of curriculum and
organizational needs).
DeJong, Inc. Consultants were
hired to conduct a programming review, including
public sessions and focus groups with faculty.
PRC. The town-appointed
Programming
Review Committee, comprised of a cross-section of
town residents, is currently reviewing the progress
of the review and the options under consideration.
PBC. The Wellesley
Permanent
Building Committee will be responsible for the planning
and execution of the construction project. They are
currently involved in reviewing
the designs for feasibility.
WPS Administration. The Wellesley
Public
School Administration has been integral to providing
input, data,
access and information on the current state and
future of education in Wellesley, as well as the role a
facility plays in that education.
School Committee. The Wellesley
School Committee will take all information gathered
to date and recommend an option on December
19th. The selected option will be presented at the
Annual Town Meeting in March with a request to fund
the development of schematic designs
(detailed architectural drawing adequate for
construction).
If funding is approved for schematic designs,
it is anticipated that final plans and project costs will
be requested at a Special Town meeting in the fall of
2007. If approved at that point, the decision will be
brought to the residents of Wellesley in a debt exclusion vote
in the
winter of 2007.
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| Coming This Month |
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In the architect's report, to the
FAC last year, there were 4+ options presented
ranging from a $29 million renovation to a $146 million
new school on a new site. The FAC
recommended Option 4a, "a major renovation
with a major addition" pending a programming
review. At that point, the estimated cost was $113
million.
Building a new school on a new site was
determined to be both too expensive and
problematic, as a sufficiently large new site is not
available in Wellesley. Most of the unbuilt land
around the current WHS site (including Hunnewell
Field) lies within tightly-regulated flood plains and/or
wetlands.
Over the past 6 months, efforts to further
define a major renovation and addition have
resulted in the new set of options for review: All are
major renovations and all include additional capacity.
They
offer a range of new construction versus
renovation and a range of phasing plans. These
options provide a basis for discussion on feasibility
and scope; the more detailed plans come at a later
stage.
In the next two months, School Committee
will be providing additional opportunities for public
education and input on this major project. A series
of "Information Sessions" is planned in locations
across town (see left column for dates and
locations). This is an excellent opportunity to hear
about this project in detail.
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| IT IS TIME FOR A DECISION |
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At this point, further delay will garner little
additional information, but pose significant risk as
total project costs will increase the longer the
project is delayed. Not only will building costs
increase, but maintenance needs will
increase, and capacity constraints will need to be
addressed with short term solutions.
The challenge is to move forward on
a project which will be acceptable to the residents of
the Town of Wellesley.
The goal is to build for now and for
the future.
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Committee for Education in the 21st
Century
