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CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO STM 2016-3
<br /> Warrant-Article Explanation and Recommendation
<br /> Article 2:Appropriate For Fund Funding
<br /> Middle Schools— Authorization Source Committee Recommends
<br /> Additions and Requested
<br /> Remodeling $62,197,000 GF (Candidate for Approval (5-0)
<br /> Debt-Exclusion
<br /> Vote)
<br /> "To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money for constructing, originally equipping and
<br /> furnishing additions to the Clarke and Diamond Middle Schools and for remodeling, reconstructing and
<br /> making extraordinary repairs to the existing Middle Schools, including original equipment and
<br /> furnishings, and for the payment of all other costs incidental and related thereto; determine whether the
<br /> money shall be provided by the tax levy, by transfer from available funds, by borrowing, possibly
<br /> contingent on a referendum pursuant to MGL c.59, §21C, or by any combination of these methods;
<br /> determine if the Town will authorize the Selectmen to apply for, accept, expend and borrow in
<br /> anticipation of state aid; or act in any other manner in relation thereto.
<br /> "DESCRIPTION: It is anticipated that there will be two parts to the motion for this article. The first part
<br /> will seek an appropriation for renovation work at Clarke and Diamond Middle Schools (Phase 1) that, due
<br /> to existing enrollment, it is imperative that the work be completed this summer, before the beginning of
<br /> the 2016/2017 school year. The second part will be for the design and construction of renovations and
<br /> additions to Clarke and Diamond Middle Schools (Phase 2) to address anticipated school enrollments.
<br /> Phase 2 work will be completed over the next 18 months for the Clarke School and 30 months for the
<br /> Diamond School. While it is anticipated that both Phase 1 and 2 of this project will be included as part of
<br /> a Debt Exclusion question submitted to the voters later this spring, the Phase 1 work needs to be
<br /> completed in time for the 2016/2017 school year. The contract for this work, therefore, will need to be
<br /> signed the first week of April, before the likely debt exclusion vote. The contract for the Phase 2 work
<br /> will go forward only if the debt exclusion vote is approved."
<br /> [Town of Lexington Warrant for the Special Town Meeting 2016-3", February 1, 2016,Page 5]
<br /> The dollar amount of this request is based on the latest total-projects-cost estimate (released this
<br /> March 7th) totaling $66,615,000 less $4,418,753 from two previous appropriations for these projects
<br /> ($2,467,753, a portion of the $4,080,000 appropriation at the March 23, 2015, STM#1, Article 2, and
<br /> $1,951,000, a portion of the $5,386,000 appropriation at the November 2, 2015 STM#1, Article 2). (The
<br /> net amount is rounded up to the nearest thousand dollars as this is proposed for debt financing which is
<br /> issued at the thousands level.) Of the requested amount, $4,104,940 is for the Part 1 prioritized scope;
<br /> $58,091,307 is for the Part 2 completion of scope. This Committee is pleased that the recommended
<br /> value-engineering and peer-review processes were undertaken to look for cost savings and validation of
<br /> the design. The current cost estimate reflects the benefits from both efforts.
<br /> The space needs at the Middle School level are well documented. For this Committee's previous,
<br /> extensive, reporting on these projects, please see the CEC Report to November 2, 2015, STM#1,
<br /> available at <http://records.lexingtonma.gov/WebLink8/0/doc/246498/Pagel.aspx>. For graphics of the
<br /> physical changes to be made to both schools as of the Design Development stage, you will find them at
<br /> <http://www.lexingtonmultipleprojects.com/projects/lexington-middle-schools/home/>. (There, click on
<br /> one of the schools and on the next page, click on the"Design Development"link.)
<br /> The two Middle Schools are currently overcrowded and the enrollment is expected to continue to
<br /> increase. (Lexington Public Schools (LPS) projections based on the Enrollment Working Group
<br /> methodology) The current capacity, given the need for general education, special education, music, art,
<br /> cafeteria and other space is based on the number of teams and the desired size of the teams. DiNisco
<br /> Design Partnership., contracted by the town to assist in the planning-and-design phase of the project,puts
<br /> the capacity at nine teams in each school for a total of 18 teams. The School Committee has not taken an
<br /> official position on the desired team size,but the working assumption is 86 students per team. This results
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