Task Force II: What will an elementary school of the future cost?
The second community Task Force to work on the Elementary Facilities Master Plan was organized in late April, 2008. This second Task Force ("Task Force II") was charged with answering the question, "What will an elementary school of the future cost?"
The Task Force spent the early meetings learning about state funding, "green" technologies and school district debt status and reviewing a report from the first task force about what an elementary school of the future should be like. The Task Force also heard from teachers at Walker, Kimball and Beaver Meadow School about their current facilities.
Task Force II members visited two recent school projects in Laconia, one a complete renovation of an elementary school and the second, a new middle school building. Task Force members met with Bob Champlin, the Superintendent of Schools in Laconia, to hear about the process Laconia used to assess the costs, pros and cons of renovation and building new.
The School Board approved the hiring of an architectural consultant to assist this Task Force with its work. A Request for Proposals was issued and five firms were interviewed. After visiting projects designed by the leading two firms, the Board approved the administration's recommendation that Harriman Associates be hired to serve as the architectural consultant.
At a meeting on September 3, Dan Cecil from the Harriman firm, reviewed the scope of work and time line with Task Force II members. His first task was to evaluate the Conant and Kimball buildings for renovation possibilities and to assess the potential costs of such renovations.
In early October, the Harriman architectural group reported to the Task Force II and to the School Board that they felt that Kimball School building and Conant school building were both suitable for renovation with additions to accommodate the educational program. The architects presented a preliminary design for Conant School in which a new classroom wing was built around the gymnasium in the back of the school. The rest of the existing building would need substantial renovation. Their very preliminary cost estimate was $9.5 million. Concord would be eligible for up to 43% reimbursement of this cost ( $4.1 million) in building aid from the state.
The architects presented several early designs for the Kimball site. In each one the current Kimball School is renovated with an addition. The size of the addition for Kimball would be larger to include a gymnasium and library, facilities that Conant School already has. The architect presented one alternative with renovation of the old Morrill building; the second alternative would replace the Morrill building. Both alternatives would use the land the School Board purchased in the past. The Task Force has had rigorous discussion about the traffic flow around Kimball as it is a problem now with 300 students in the school. The new design would enable the district to bring at least some of the buses off the street to a drop off point on the site. The administration has asked the architect to continue to refine the Kimball drawing to reduce the size of the addition and try to make more use of some of the open spaces in the current Kimball School Building.
The Task Force most recently reviewed all the major issues facing it and developed a list of pro's and con's. A copy of that report will be posted shortly.
The next meeting of the Task Force II is Wednesday, October 29, 4:30 p.m. in the Board Room at 16 Rumford Street. For information relating to this project, contact Matt Cashman, Director of Facilities and Planning for the Concord School District (mcash@csd.k12.nh.us or 225-0811.)
All of the Task Force II meetings have been taped by Concord Television and are available for viewing at the Concord Television website. Go to the Concord Television website and click on video streaming, School Board.
Most of the Task Force meetings are taped and can be accessed at Concord TV.
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www.yourconcordtv.org/
The second community Task Force to work on the Elementary Facilities Master Plan was organized in late April, 2008. This second Task Force ("Task Force II") was charged with answering the question, "What will an elementary school of the future cost?"
The Task Force spent the early meetings learning about state funding, "green" technologies and school district debt status and reviewing a report from the first task force about what an elementary school of the future should be like. The Task Force also heard from teachers at Walker, Kimball and Beaver Meadow School about their current facilities.
Task Force II members visited two recent school projects in Laconia, one a complete renovation of an elementary school and the second, a new middle school building. Task Force members met with Bob Champlin, the Superintendent of Schools in Laconia, to hear about the process Laconia used to assess the costs, pros and cons of renovation and building new.
The School Board approved the hiring of an architectural consultant to assist this Task Force with its work. A Request for Proposals was issued and five firms were interviewed. After visiting projects designed by the leading two firms, the Board approved the administration's recommendation that Harriman Associates be hired to serve as the architectural consultant.
At a meeting on September 3, Dan Cecil from the Harriman firm, reviewed the scope of work and time line with Task Force II members. His first task was to evaluate the Conant and Kimball buildings for renovation possibilities and to assess the potential costs of such renovations.
In early October, the Harriman architectural group reported to the Task Force II and to the School Board that they felt that Kimball School building and Conant school building were both suitable for renovation with additions to accommodate the educational program. The architects presented a preliminary design for Conant School in which a new classroom wing was built around the gymnasium in the back of the school. The rest of the existing building would need substantial renovation. Their very preliminary cost estimate was $9.5 million. Concord would be eligible for up to 43% reimbursement of this cost ( $4.1 million) in building aid from the state.
The architects presented several early designs for the Kimball site. In each one the current Kimball School is renovated with an addition. The size of the addition for Kimball would be larger to include a gymnasium and library, facilities that Conant School already has. The architect presented one alternative with renovation of the old Morrill building; the second alternative would replace the Morrill building. Both alternatives would use the land the School Board purchased in the past. The Task Force has had rigorous discussion about the traffic flow around Kimball as it is a problem now with 300 students in the school. The new design would enable the district to bring at least some of the buses off the street to a drop off point on the site. The administration has asked the architect to continue to refine the Kimball drawing to reduce the size of the addition and try to make more use of some of the open spaces in the current Kimball School Building.
The Task Force most recently reviewed all the major issues facing it and developed a list of pro's and con's. A copy of that report will be posted shortly.
The next meeting of the Task Force II is Wednesday, October 29, 4:30 p.m. in the Board Room at 16 Rumford Street. For information relating to this project, contact Matt Cashman, Director of Facilities and Planning for the Concord School District (mcash@csd.k12.nh.us or 225-0811.)
All of the Task Force II meetings have been taped by Concord Television and are available for viewing at the Concord Television website. Go to the Concord Television website and click on video streaming, School Board.
Most of the Task Force meetings are taped and can be accessed at Concord TV.
www.yourconcordtv.org/