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03/01/2020 11:00 PMWith an ambitious timeline tied to a state application deadline of June 30, 2020, three concepts for the next North Branford High School (NBHS) were presented to a crowd of about 200 at a joint meeting of the Town Council and Board of Education (BOE) Feb. 26. Estimated costs, which would need to be bonded by the Town, were also shared; as well as the percentage of anticipated state reimbursement factored into each option.
As Mayor Robert Viglione noted on Feb. 26, “...”there will be other public hearings before any decisions are made.”
Next steps involve the school district’s project team bringing the three concepts to a March 25 information gathering meeting with the state’s administrative office of construction grants and reimbursements. Then, the Town Council and BOE will reconvene for further public discussion (March — April); and if a final concept is approved by the Town Council, the BOE would need to submit a project reimbursement application to the state by June 30, 2020. The Town Council has asked the Town Attorney to determine if bonding for the project may only need the approval of the Town Council; however, should the Town Attorney determine a town referendum vote on bonding is necessary, the vote would need to take place no later than November, 2020.
A Great First Step
Analysis and options presented on Feb. 26 were developed through an architectural review process funded by the Town. The BOE hired architect Rusty Malik of QA+M Architecture (Farmington) for the work.
Superintendent of Schools Scott Schoonmaker thanked those who came out on Feb. 26 in a show of support that included parents of students of all ages from across the district as well as staff and students from the high school.
“It’s a great first step,” said Schoonmaker. “I’ve been here as superintendent for 11 years and this is the furthest we have gotten in the process in my 11 years here. And I thank the Council and the Board of Education for investing in the real quantitative research that QA + M has started to do in this process.”
Current Challenges at NBHS
NBHS opened in 1964 and had two building additions incorporated in the 1970’s. At the presentation on Feb. 26, Malik first reviewed the challenges with the existing high school building and the issues taken into consideration – from safety to educational requirements — on the way developing three concepts for the BOE over the past year.
He also shared issues flagged and noted in reports of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), which showed pressing needs creating impediments to student learning, including, “...the lack of sprinklers, the persistent stream of water in the basement necessitating a 24-hour-a-day sump pump, the wild swings in temperature causing some areas of the school to swelter while other have teacher and student wrapped in coats and blankets, pose a serious health issue to those in the building.”
Three Concepts, Three Projected Costs
The three concepts Malik presented Feb. 26 included maintaining the existing facility; renovation/alteration to “as new”; and building a new high school. In all three options, the building plan calls for single elevator. All options also involve wetlands removal on the school property.
Maintaining the existing facility and upgrading the space would require multi-phase construction over 30 – 36 months to bring it up to code, including removal of hazardous materials. The concept includes renovating approximately 113,500 square feet; while also incorporating construction involving 4,500 square feet. The project would bring high disruptions to student learning, and extraneous costs including spending $140,000 for portable units to use for educational spaces.
While the work would improve safety and security and bring efficiencies to energy use, educational spaces and travel time to navigate the facility; the completed project would not yield a “future-ready” school, add new fields or improve parking. The option would also allow limited correction of “moisture mitigation” caused by the ground water issue plaquing the building.
In all, the price tag to mainatain the existing facility is estimated to be $41.99 million, following state reimbursement of eligible costs.
Renovating the building to “as new” to create a “future-ready school” is estimated to cost the Town $37.87 following state reimbursement. However, the multiple phase project would cause high disruption to student learning during a window of 36 to 40 months of construction, as it would demolish over 19,000 square feet of the existing building and incorporate new construction totaling 95,232 square feet. It would incorporate new features including a two-story media center. The project would improve the current facility’s issue of moisture mitigation, as well as create increased safety and security and added efficiencies in energy use, educational spaces, and reduction in travel time in the building.
Based on many factors presented by Malik on Feb. 26, the concept which appeared to draw the most favorable response from those crowd was constructing a brand-new, three-story high school facility on the current school campus, with a $39.88 million estimated final cost to the Town, following state reimbursement.
Malik noted the new building option is also the only one which could be constructed as a “net zero” energy efficient facility. While going with a net zero approach would create an additional $1.75 million in project costs, that money would be paid back by energy savings realized within 7 to 10 years of building use, said Malik.
The completely new, 110,000 square foot high school would be situated on land currently located behind the present-day NBHS. The project would be done in two phases over 22 to 25 months, with minimal disruption to student learning.
Featuring a new gymnasium, a two-story cafeteria/common area, modern media center and new playing fields, the newly built NBHS and its educational spaces would meet all standards for a “future ready school,” noted Malik; gaining all the tenants of modern 21st century school design in a way that’s also flexible for change based on future teaching methods. The new building would also meet all requirements for safety and security. Additionally, it would increase site circulation, improve the parking area and optimize land use. There would be no hazardous materials removal impact; and full mitigation of the current facility’s ground water issue.
As noted on Feb. 26, the new building option would rely on students using an outdoor pedestrian way to access North Branford Auditorium on the school campus in the future. Currently, the auditorium, which is shared by North Branford Intermediate School and NBHS, is connected to NBHS via an upper-level pedestrian bridge between the auditorium and the high school’s second floor. The bridge would be dismantled as part of the complete demolition of the old NBHS building during phase two of the project.
Time is of the Essence
As Mailk also explained on Feb. 26, no matter the concept selected for a future NBHS; time is the essence — and not only due to the outmoded high school building.
The concepts include allowable space standards which meet a more favorable state reimbursement rate based on NBHS’s present population of 524 students. Next year, according to studies tied to the review, the population will dip to 499, which will negatively impact the reimbursement rate. For example, based on 499 students, Malik estimated the $39.88 million cost for a brand-new high school building would increase to some $42.53 million.
Also on Feb. 26, Schoonmaker invited the public to three open house tours (6 — 7 p.m. on Mon. March 2, Tues. March 3 and Wed. March 4), to see the current state of the facility’s classrooms, hallways, student bathrooms, locker rooms, library, elevator area, gym and cafe. A district handout for the open house tours also noted that students deserve a “contemporary facility that supports their educational endeavors” as they prepare to enter a competitive global economy. The handout also stated that, “...despite the aged facility and tight operational budgets, we have continued to support students by adding programs and expanding opportunities at NBHS.”
In addition, the hand-out noted that renovated or newly-built facilities have been constructed over the past 20 years in neighboring towns including North Haven, Guilford, Wallingford and Branford.