Wellesley High School Project
School Committee Position Paper

Academic and Architectural Program

The Wellesley High School building should accommodate the academic program our School Department believes is the most beneficial for all of our students.  In designing an addition or renovation project for the high school, the first task is to scrutinize how the necessary and desirable activities of the academic program drive structural and space needs.   

Academic Program

Our academic program comprises:

            Core Curriculum – English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Classical and Modern Language
            Elective Curriculum – Applied Learning, Performing and Creative Arts
            Fitness & Health
            Library/Media
            Special Education
            Competitive Athletics
           
The core curriculum, which is college preparatory, accounts for 65% of our classroom spaces.  The Director of Curriculum and Instruction follows a ten-year rotational cycle of thorough review of the core curriculum offerings in math, science, social studies, and English.  Curriculum offerings in the department of classical and modern languages are also reviewed approximately every 10 years by the department head. The School Committee expects that the design of the high school building will optimize, and indeed encourage, both interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary collaboration.  Technology has dramatically influenced the education process.  Including developing technology capabilities into our building will allow for maximized diverse teaching styles and creativity and growth among both students and teachers.

Electives, or non-core subjects, offer some students a sampling or a foundation for a given career while providing for all students a richness of experiences.  These courses also help satisfy the minimum hours of instruction requirement as set forth in the Education Reform Act of 1993.  Department heads, occasionally in consultation with others, evaluate and review the elective offerings in art, fitness & health, performing arts, technology, and approximately every ten years.  These courses change and evolve in keeping with the times, but there will always be a need for classroom space to teach elective courses.  The classrooms where applied learning courses are taught are the size of laboratory classrooms and thus are adaptable to change. 

Our project planning for a renovated high school has considered the benefits of establishing location adjacencies involving curriculum strands in both core and elective subject areas. For instance, it is wise to locate drama and music classrooms in an adjacent area that is also near the auditorium.  Space allocations for various departments must provide appropriate work and meeting areas for staff, individual project spaces for students, and appropriate places where teachers can work with students. 

Woven throughout the academic program are accommodations for students with special needs who are receiving services through Special Education (SPED).  It is educationally and socially sound to place most special education rooms throughout the building. 

Architectural Program

Driven by academic programming needs, architectural programming is the determination of the numbers, types, and adjacencies of rooms as well as their sizes and outfitting features.  With a few exceptions such as performing arts and fitness, classrooms fall into one of two categories--regular classroom or laboratory.  (Since most of our electives involve projects those classrooms fall into the laboratory category.)  The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) standard for new classrooms for 20-30 students is accepted as 850 square feet for a regular classroom and 1,250 square feet for a laboratory classroom.  Using this standard for new construction will allow for flexibility as needs change through time.  Using MSBA standards will also maximize any potential MSBA reimbursements for project costs.

The Facilities Advisory Committee (FAC) recommended in 2006 that the first planning phase of the high school project should be an independent programming phase.  The School Committee accepted that recommendation and hired DeJong, Inc. for this programming work.  A visioning group comprising teachers, administrators, students, and parents worked with the consultant from June through November to translate the academic program into architectural descriptions or program:  the numbers and types of spaces, adjacencies, and both generic and specific room equipment and finish specifications.  The final report resulting from their work specifies the architectural program for the desired academic program for Wellesley High School.  It should be noted that the MSBA has also subsequently determined that schools must document this type of architectural program as one of the first steps in applying for reimbursement.

Program Review Committee

At the School Committee’s request, the town moderator appointed six uniquely qualified town citizens to attend meetings, intently follow the process, and advise the School Committee regarding the process.  This committee, the Program Review Committee (PRC), will report to Town Meeting as to the completeness and value of the programming phase.

Approved by School Committee
March 13, 2007

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