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The High School Building Committee: A Fresh Start
By Jennifer Steel, High School Building Committee
April 9, 2007 – The High School Building Committee (HSBC) is back, trying to address the needs of the high school facility, but back with new membership, a new charge, and strict guidelines from the state’s new school building assistance program.
The original charge was “to determine the most cost-efficient solution for the facility needs of Wayland High School necessary to house its current and future student population while providing…educational programs of the highest quality, now and into the foreseeable future.” The HSBC determined that a new facility was the most cost effective way of achieving that goal. At the Special Town Meeting in January, 2005, the HSBC put forward an article to fund a preliminary design for the construction and renovation of Wayland High School. That article failed: 2645 (57% against) to 2005 (43% in favor).
The HSBC went back to the drawing board and distributed a
town-wide survey to gauge the public sentiment and solicit
public input. The resulting changes were expanding the HSBC,
revising the charge, and opting to wait for the new state
school building assistance program to be developed, so that
Wayland will be assured of state reimbursement before
proceeding. 
Four additional members were added to the 11-person committee, bringing skills in the areas of conservation, strategic planning, education and school renovation projects. I am one of those new members, and even though I did not support the 2005 Town Meeting article, I was welcomed into the Committee as one with a fresh perspective and new ideas. “As a new member, I feel I can add value by re-examining and challenging assumptions and conclusions made in the last proposal,” says Karen Talentino, another of the four new HSBC members. “Together as a committee and as a community we will work to define common goals and move forward.”
The new charge from the School Committee includes defining prioritized needs, engaging the public, developing cost and design alternatives, and maximizing state reimbursement.
Prioritized Needs - The HSBC is charged with prioritizing the most pressing needs of the high school facility. Based on those needs, we are to define the scope of the new project. “While health and safety compliance and supporting core academics remains the highest priority, the committee will also be taking a critical look at non-core academic and extra-curricular space,” according to David Lash, another new committee member.
Public Involvement - The HSBC has been redoubling its efforts to solicit input from residents. The HSBC has been making presentations all around Wayland, modifying its website to make information more readily accessible, and providing regularly scheduled tours of Wayland High School on the second Tuesday and Saturday of each month. After the state has given Wayland direction to proceed, the HSBC will conduct forums that engage town residents in evaluating various prioritized requirements, design approaches, and cost alternatives.
Cost Alternatives - $74 million for Lincoln-Sudbury, $82 million for Everett, $127M for Quincy, and $154.6 million for Newton North. The cost of new high school building projects can cause even the staunchest supporters to blanch. Cost escalation is an unavoidable reality that the HSBC and Wayland residents will have to face. The HSBC will, therefore, be analyzing a range of design approaches such as open campus vs. single building, renovation vs. new construction, and single- vs. multi-phased project, as well as pursuing alternate sources of funding such as private donations.
State Reimbursement - The new state system is a collaborative, but formulaic one. The HSBC must abide by the new guidelines to qualify for state reimbursement. The state will undertake a needs analysis and population projection. If our high school qualifies for state assistance based on the urgency of its deficiencies, the state will invite us into its process. It will define the characteristics of a “reimbursable” school renovation/construction project, define the timeline for action, and define the reimbursement rate.
According to Representative Tom Conroy, “After July 1,
the state could give Wayland the green light to proceed.”
The new charge positions Wayland to work effectively with
the state to explore various solutions and engage its
residents in defining the best solution for Wayland.
Jennifer Steel, a graduate of Wayland High School, was appointed to the High School Building Committee in October 2006. She is the Conservation Administrator in Framingham and can be reached at jsteel@framinghamma.gov.
Articles in Series:
Bringing Wayland High School in
the 21st Century
Wayland High School: News
from the State
What to do about Falling Concrete
at Wayland High School?
The High
School Building Committee: A Fresh Start