Wellesley High School Project
Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the School Committee’s commitment to energy efficient, green building design and construction for an eventual high school project?

The School Committee unanimously passed the following resolution in support of green principles on February 10, 2004:
 
VOTED: Wellesley School Committee recommends to the Permanent Building Committee that construction practices which (1) significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact buildings have on the environment and to the occupants and (2) which conserve valuable natural resources, such as water, fossil fuel, and clean air -- practices generally referred to as green design principles -- be considered in the design, construction, and operation of Wellesley Middle School and all other future school building projects to the extent feasible.

The committee continues to uphold that commitment.

2. Is the School Committee in favor of retaining the 1938 building?  Won’t that cost more money or make the school more inefficient?

First and foremost, the School Committee is committed to providing a building that facilitates educational excellence in the 21st century.  Second, we are committed to providing such a building in the most cost-effective manner possible.  Therefore, the School Committee has explored whether or not retaining the 1938 building is viable, as measured against these two top priorities.  In 2003, a study commissioned to assess the condition of the high school and its heating, ventilation, electrical and plumbing systems concluded that while the internal systems of the building are old and in need of replacement, the original 1938 building shell -- walls, roof structure, floors, etc. -- is in serviceable condition and economically suitable for renovation.  In 2005, a study commissioned to investigate all alternatives for solving the high school capacity and building condition problems assessed a range of renovation options as well as new construction on a new site.  The 2005 study indicated that there may be financial benefit to incorporating a renovated 1938 building in the eventual final project design.  We instructed the architects to investigate concepts incorporating the building.

As a result of this work, the School Committee considers retaining the 1938 building an option.  The School Committee also considers a new building an option.  As options are evaluated, the School Committee will put significant emphasis on the two priorities mentioned above.  We will also consider factors including disruption to students and teachers, disruption to playing fields and parking, time to completion, and the constraints of the site.  The School Committee, working in conjunction with the PBC and the newly formed School Building Committee, will be working on feasibility concepts that involve the 1938 building and that involve a completely new school. 

3. Can the space in front of the 1938 building be used for construction?
In the fall of 2006, a land use task force thoroughly explored all options regarding land availability and suitability for construction in front of the existing school. This task force included representatives of the Natural Resources Commission, Recreation Department, Selectmen, Department of Public Works, Planning Board, Wetlands Preservation, Historical Commission, School Committee and Town of Wellesley legal counsel.

We learned that construction in front of the 1938 building would be costly and difficult because:

• This is where the underground sewer, water, power and gas distribution termination points reside. Relocating them would be costly.
• An active brook near the auditorium and library would present wetland obstacles that cannot be easily overcome.

We even investigated relocating the road north, closer to the school’s property line.  That area also presented overwhelming wetlands challenges.

Overall, we concluded that it is impractical to consider building in front of the 1938 building because of costs and permitting challenges.

4. Wouldn’t it be easier and more cost efficient to just build a new school, perhaps across the street in the Hunnewell field and move students into the building once it is completed?

Several studies have been conducted over the years to determine if there might be an option for locating a new high school, and the Hunnewell Field has always been considered a desirable location for a new high school building.  In the fall of 2005, a study by a task force involving members of the Natural Resources Commission, Recreation Department, Selectmen, Department of Public Works, Planning Board, Wetlands Preservation, Historical Commission, School Committee and Town of Wellesley legal counsel explored all options near the current high school and reluctantly confirmed that construction of a new school on the Hunnewell Field could occur only if:

• The Town could prove that there were no other alternatives
• Town boards including Natural Resources, Selectmen and School Committee endorsed construction on the Hunnewell site
• The Town successfully petitioned the Legislature for approval
• The State Legislature voted to approve the petition by a two-thirds margin.

Since our architects have confirmed that we have options to construct a new or renovated building on the current site, we concluded that it was futile to pursue the HunnewellField option.

In parallel, the Selectmen and School Committee conducted informal discussions with holders of open land including Wellesley College and Babson College to explore the possibility of other land for a new high school.  Those discussions did not reveal any encouraging options

5. The fitness center is less than 10 years old; will it be kept intact or, if not, why not?
The high school fitness center was built in 2002, funded entirely by private donations.  It is well used yet remains in excellent condition.  We have developed the following statement about the fitness center for our architects and the Permanent Building Committee:
The fitness center is a wonderful asset to the high school and is its newest facility.  While we would like to retain the center, we accept that the high school design decisions must be made to optimize the effectiveness of the school for the next 30 to 50 years.  We accept removal and replacement of the fitness center if it will make a substantial improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of the school that is ultimately designed and constructed. We expect that the equipment and other valuable assets will be reused if economically feasible to do so.

6. Community input sessions indicated that there is support for incorporating a pool into the new school design.  What was concluded?  What was concluded about building a skating rink?

We instructed our architects to consider the construction of a pool as part of a new or renovated school.  They concluded that the only possibility would be an underground lap pool of approximately four to six lanes. The architects discouraged this idea because of the limiting implications of constructing such a facility on land that is in a flood plain.  The design and construction of a pool is specifically excluded from state reimbursement under Massachusetts School Building Authorityregulations.

Subsequent conversations with Recreation Board members led us to conclude that an underground lap pool does not satisfy their vision for a community pool complex, a facility with multiple pools and fitness center modeled after the new Concord recreation facility at Concord-Carlisle High School (http://www.concordnet.org/rec/BSFC/index.html ).

The School Committee concluded that while a small underground pool would enhance our fitness and team swimming programs, it would have limited value as a community resource and the cost and complexity were too great to warrant pursuing it further.  The School Committee agreed to continue discussions with the Recreation Department to explore other options for a pool complex in Wellesley.

There was also support for a skating rink.  The only way that a rink can be constructed on the high school property is as part of a large, stand alone athletic facility.  There is not sufficient space to build such a facility and rinks, like pools, are also not reimbursable by the MSBA.  We concluded that the construction and operational costs of a rink are not justifiable for school use alone.

7. Will the renovated/expanded high school have the same amount of field space for soccer, football, baseball, etc?

Our land use task force conducted an extensive study of park land and land restrictions (see question 3).  Our conclusion is that the high school, once completed, will not have any impact on the existing playing fields.  However, given that we will need to provide temporary parking and perhaps storage of construction materials near the school, we anticipate seeking access to some land in the Hunnewell field area and/or school football during construction.  Should this be necessary, we expect to restore the land to its original condition when the project is complete.  We will work with the Town’s Playing Fields Task Force to minimize disruption during this temporary period.

8. Will all of the renovations or new construction contemplated be reimbursable by the MSBA?

The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) is a newly formed state authority charged with administering financial assistance to cities and towns that are contemplating major school construction and/or renovation.  State reimbursement for school construction has been frozen for several years.  As a result, there is a significant backlog of school building project applications awaiting consideration by the MSBA for partial funding.
Upon approval of MSBA regulations by the state legislature, in April 2007 the MSBA began the process of institutionalizing the laws into policies and procedures. The first step calls for towns to develop a “Statement of Interest.” The School Committee and Selectmen jointly submitted statements of interest in July 2006 for the middle school renovations project and the possible high school project.  We await further direction and documentation from the MSBA on the next step.
Our consultant and architect are well versed in the regulations and we used MSBA standards and guidelines to the extent possible.  In some instances, our requirements exceed guidelines and in other cases they were less than the guidelines.  The program voted by the School Committee places us approximately 13% percent above guidelines which, according to our consultant, is to be expected for a high performing school like Wellesley. 

9. With the various options, will modular classrooms still be needed to accommodate the enrollment increase in the short term?
Finding the best long-term solution for the high school is a complex task that will have a substantial financial impact for up to 25 years into the future. Though we are proceeding aggressively we are not making assumptions about when construction activity will start.  Our FY 2008 capital budget includes $30,000 to investigate options and placement of modulars on site.  The five year capital plan includes $3.6 million for the acquisition and installation of modular classrooms.  We will seek to add the modulars in a way that is consistent with an eventual high school solution. 

10. How much on site parking for students and faculty is anticipated once construction is complete?

The size of the high school parking lot for students and faculty will be defined by how much of the parcel can be designated for parking and by the determinations of the permitting process that will include a Project of Significant Impact (PSI) Study.  All projects of this size are subject to the same PSI process, which focuses on automobile traffic flow and pedestrian access and safety.  Our assumption has been to proportionately increase the current 300 parking spaces in the same ratio as the enrollment is expected to increase. 

11. Will the high school be the town’s designated emergency shelter after renovation?

The high school is currently the town’s designated emergency shelter because of the renovations project underway at the middle school.  However, the current mechanical systems support use of only a limited portion of the high school as an emergency shelter. Therefore, when the middle school project is completed, the middle school building will again become the Town’s only designated emergency shelter.  If the high school were to be renovated, it could then provide the Town with another large emergency shelter.

April 4, 2007

top