The following Districts presented on the progress of its proposed project at the January 15, 2014 Massachusetts School Building Authority (the “MSBA”) Facilities Assessment Subcommittee (“FAS”) Meeting:
Town of Abington
Charles M. Frolio Middle School
Current Phase: Feasibility Study
Owner’s Project Manager: Knight, Bagge & Anderson, Inc.
Designer: Ai3 Architects, LLC
The District, the Owner’s Project Manager, and design team presented an overview of the educational program, the site, options studied during the Feasibility Study, and the District’s preferred solution of a new co-located middle and high school with Pre-K. The FAS discussed: 1) the previous options reviewed and submitted by the District versus the option as presented at FAS; 2) how the proposed solution separates grades by cohorts; 3) continued development of conceptual plans to better reflect the educational program; 4) design considerations for school administration to monitor external and internal circulation and security; 5) academic organization of the high school spaces; 6) organization and layout of the middle school; and, 7) the importance of establishing sufficiently detailed conceptual layouts prior to proceeding into schematic design.
The FAS requested that the District provide supplemental information regarding its preferred solution to address the items discussed during the January 15, 2014 FAS meeting. MSBA staff looks forward to receiving the District’s supplemental information regarding the potential project.
MSBA staff will continue to work with the District to resolve the issues addressed so that a recommendation of a mutually agreeable solution may be made to the MSBA Board of Directors.
City of Haverhill
Caleb Dustin Hunking Middle School
Current Phase: Feasibility Study
Owner’s Project Manager: Joslin Lesser + Associates
Designer: JCJ Architecture
The District, the Owner’s Project Manager, and design team presented an overview of the educational program, the site, options studied during the Feasibility Study, and the District’s preferred solution of a new Caleb Dustin Hunking K-8 School to replace the existing 6-8 middle school. The FAS raised concerns about the following items: 1) the plans in the current educational program for a district-wide STEM program to be located at the Hunking School which could potentially have an unintended negative impact to the science related programs at the remaining middle schools in the district; and 2) the District’s plan to provide an “Upper School” to serve grades 5-8 in the Hunking School which would require a transition of the existing fifth grade elementary school teachers to a middle school team-teaching approach.
The FAS requested that the District: 1) receive confirmation from the Office for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education that the educational plan as it relates to the proposed STEM program is consistent with state policy; and 2) demonstrate its intent to provide professional development to applicable existing teaching staff. MSBA staff looks forward to receiving this supplemental documentation regarding these concerns.
MSBA staff will continue to work with the District to resolve the issues addressed so that a recommendation of a mutually agreeable solution may be made to the MSBA Board of Directors.