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CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO NOVEMBER 2,2015, STM#1 <br /> Introduction and Overview <br /> The School Committee (SC) is charged with providing adequate accommodation for the students of <br /> Lexington's public schools (LPS). The SC is facing challenges in this regard due to serious overcrowding <br /> at the Pre-K (also known as the Lexington Children's Place [LCP]), Elementary and Middle School <br /> levels, and projected overcrowding at the High School; increasing enrollments continue to exacerbate the <br /> overcrowding; and changes in the distribution of students in Town which have unfairly distributed the <br /> enrollment burden. One elementary school, Maria Hastings, is in severe need of replacement; and two <br /> major heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems (Diamond Middle School and the High <br /> School) are on the point of failure and in need of replacement. The issue of increasing enrollment has <br /> dominated the discussion, but ongoing maintenance, replacement of HVAC systems, and replacement of <br /> the Hastings Elementary School remain as urgent and pressing needs as well. Adding to the challenge is <br /> the need to address these issues in a manner that is cost effective and does not present a greater burden on <br /> property-tax payers than is absolutely necessary. <br /> Facing these challenges in a cost-effective manner requires that all non-capital options be explored and <br /> those deemed reasonable be implemented before investing in major capital expansion. This Committee is <br /> pleased to see the SC move out on this activity. In particular, LPS has engaged a consultant to help design <br /> a redistricting plan so that all available classrooms are used and the burden of overcrowding is equitably <br /> shared among the elementary schools. Additional classrooms can be opened in every elementary school <br /> by changes in how instruction is delivered: for example art can be delivered in general-education rooms <br /> freeing up an art room. While this is not ideal, it does not present a severe burden on the system and <br /> provides a modest level of relief until additional space is brought online. <br /> The SC is asking for $5,386,000 to continue planning and design work to address the combination of the <br /> space needed to accommodate increasing enrollment and to upgrade or replace high-risk-of-failure <br /> end-of-life systems and facilities across the elementary schools and middle schools. (See below in the <br /> Article description for the breakout of how those funds will be used.)Included in that amount are funds to <br /> purchase and install up to six medium-grade modular classrooms at the elementary level. <br /> Previous plans contemplated moving the preschool to a leased site on the Minuteman High School <br /> campus for three years and building a new stand-alone preschool to be ready when that lease was up; <br /> however, the current plan leaves the preschool at Harrington, saving the cost of moving to and operating <br /> in a separate, renovated, school facility. This does mean that the 4 classrooms expected to be vacated will <br /> not be available for K-5 use. Building a stand-alone preschool is still the plan for an unspecified date in <br /> the near future, so the cost is kept in the current estimated costs. <br /> At the elementary level, the current plan calls for replacing the 21-classroom Hastings with a new <br /> 30-classroom Hastings which addresses the need to replace an old and failing building as well as adding a <br /> much-needed 9 additional classrooms—and avoids the impacts of the on-going education that would <br /> likely result during a major renovation that might include the need for swing space. In addition, the SC <br /> plans to add 6, mid-grade, modular classrooms at the elementary level as cited above. Purpose and use of <br /> the 20 Pelham Road site has been removed from the plan. <br /> At the middle-school level, the SC plans to perform renovation, site work, and add brick & mortar <br /> construction at each middle school. This will allow an additional 3.5 teams, ideally of 85 students per <br /> team, for a capacity increase of 298 students, as well as provide some general improvement of space and <br /> additional science classrooms. <br />