The following district presented on the progress of their proposed project at the May 18, 2022 Massachusetts School Building Authority (the “MSBA”) Facilities Assessment Subcommittee (the “FAS”) Meeting:
City of Haverhill
Dr. Albert B. Consentino Middle School
Current Phase: Feasibility Study
Owner’s Project Manager: Colliers Project Leaders USA NE, LLC
Designer: Dore + Whittier Architects
The City of Haverhill (the “District”), the Owner’s Project Manager, and design team presented an overview of the options studied during the Feasibility Study and the District’s preferred solution to replace the existing Dr. Albert B. Consentino Middle School with a new facility serving grades 5-8 on the existing school site. The FAS, MSBA staff, and the District discussed: the importance of District involvement in the visioning and development of the educational program; equity of resources and school building facilities across the District; current and planned professional development opportunities for staff; variations from MSBA space guidelines as it relates to the proposed science labs and classroom spaces; staffing related to the science labs and media center; proposed square footage of classrooms and anticipated class sizes; discussion of fifth and sixth grade in a middle school model as it relates to science curriculum and staff certifications; anticipated plans for middle school world language program; appreciation for the distribution for Special Education program spaces; separation of public spaces from the academic wings; proposed utilization, size, and number of extended learning spaces; presentation of extended learning spaces within the floor plans, appreciation of the layout of open spaces, and potential for increased efficiency as the design develops; flexibility of the cafetorium, multipurpose room and gymnasium; site circulation; and appreciation of the consistent floor plans across all four levels.
The FAS requested additional information regarding: 1) Floor Plans; The District provided updated floor plans with sizing adjustments to academic spaces for science and general classrooms on June 1, 2022. These plans are still in development and may still need to be adjusted to address some of the conversations noted above. 2) Educational Program; The District has been requested to provide an updated Educational Program that provides clarity on the City’s redistricting efforts, ongoing professional development, opportunities to train staff in the new facility, and expands on the world language program no later than Wednesday, June 22, 2022. 3) Summary of Redistricting; The District has been requested to provide a narrative of recent redistricting as described at the FAS meeting, along with an updated geographical map of school facilities and boundaries before and after redistricting efforts no later than June 22, 2022.
MSBA staff is currently working with the District to reach a mutually agreeable solution to recommend to the MSBA’s Board of Directors.
