High School Space Needs Committee Makes A Recommendation

By Susan Coney

The High School Space Needs Committee settled on a favored configuration for an addition to the west side of the existing high school building at its November 7 meeting. It will forward its recommendation to the Board of Education.

The committee unanimously voted to recommend a proposal identified as “Option C” by the architectural/engineering firm Fletcher Thompson. The cost of the addition is estimated to be  $29,754,000.

In addition, the committee recommended that the board consider the option of using property on Oak View Road by Wasserman Way for additional parking, which would cost $229,500 to construct.

Option C will allow the high school to meet the state standard of 174.5 square feet per student for a total of 331,500 square feet and would result in better circulation flow for students passing through the building and provide much needed cafeteria space. The committee also recommended that the new addition be used as a “freshman house,” where freshmen core classes and a lunch “servery” would be located.

The High School Space Needs Committee, chaired by William Lavery, was charged to determine whether a satellite high school should be built at Fairfield Hills or if it would be more educationally sound to construct an addition to the existing high school. The committee also was to determine the size of the addition to help alleviate overcrowding problems with the increasing population at the school.

Representatives from Fletcher Thompson did show the committee more elaborate options in a PowerPoint presentation at Monday’s meeting. The committee viewed “Option B” and “Option B reduced,” both of which included larger expansions and more renovations with a higher price. The two B options would provide increased space for courses such as the culinary program, child development, video production, graphic arts, and music, as well as other extras to provide the capability for more students to be able to participate in these high interest courses.

Chairman Lavery told the committee, “We have a very narrow charge. Our job is to talk about space. We adopted Option C because it filled the need. We need to leave it up to the Board of Education and the Board of Finance as to what they recommend for the educational programs.”

In a written recommendation from the Space Needs Committee to the Board of Education the committee stated, “We leave the development of this renovation to the Board of Education and the Finance Authority of the town who should coordinate by looking at the total needs and interests of the town.”

In its recommendation, however, the committee also noted that the Board of Education and the town finance authorities consider additional renovation costs of $6 million, which would make a total budget of $35,983,500, with a total cost to the town after state reimbursement of $23,519,000.

During the course of the meeting committee members agreed that constructing an addition would be a short-term solution to a long-term problem as the town population continues to grow.

Committee member Mike Portnoy voiced his concerns that the addition would be insufficient to meet the town’s growing needs. He suggested at one point in the meeting that the committee consider looking at the long-term growth. He asked fellow committee members, “If we outgrow this addition in the coming years can we put Option D on? [Option D is an addition that would be attached on the north side of the building next to the cafeteria.]”

Building and grounds supervisor Dominick Posca responded by saying that the site is too small, “once we put this addition on that’s it, we can’t add anymore. The way the town is growing we aren’t looking out for ourselves.”

After further discussion regarding the town’s continuing growth as well as the consideration of other town projects currently in the works the committee agreed that going with Option C was the best solution in providing relief to the overcrowding problem at the high school.