2018-06-27-CEC-ATM-rpt (Combined Report with Updates & Errata)

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CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2018 ATM(incorporating Updates&Errata) • Elementary Schools: To begin addressing the current overcrowding at the Elementary level, the LPS added six modular classrooms: two each to the Bowman, Bridge, and Fiske schools. This project is complete with the exception of a few punch-list items. As just noted, moving the LCP out of Harington will provide additional space there for up to four classrooms with a to—be—determined mix of general-education and special-education classrooms. These additional classrooms are expected to be available approximately two years from now at a renovation cost of $200,000—$300,000. In addition, the LPS is in the process of replacing the current 21-classroom Maria Hastings School with a new 30-classroom school at approximately $63.1 million, gaining nine additional classrooms. The MSBA is partnering with Lexington to provide approximately $16.9 million of the cost. LPS is working through a value-engineering process to look for cost reductions. This process is on track to have a new Hastings available by February 2020. Currently planned building-construction projects, in total, will not fully alleviate the overcrowding in the elementary schools if enrollment growth continues at the level of the median forecast. • Middle Schools: Extensive renovations to the Clarke and Diamond Middle schools were complete enough to be open for use this fall. Some HVAC work remains and is in progress at Diamond, and some millwork and minor punch-list items along with the tennis courts remain to be completed at Clarke. Students in the middle schools are organized into teams of approximately 85 students who share a core set of teachers. Depending on the size of a particular grade, it may be organized into 3 to 4 teams. These renovations added capacity for 3.5 teams, for a total of 21.5 teams (10.5 at Clark and 11 at Diamond) for a total capacity of 1,849 students. This was expected to accommodate the median enrollment projections out to the 2018/2019 school year, with minor overcrowding in 2019/2020, and growing overcrowding if enrollments continue to increase. Increases continue to be the expectation with a median projection in 2019-2020 of 1,896 students. • The High School has been expanded in two phases of modular-classrooms additions. After the first set, SMMA, in January 2015, estimated the high school capacity at 2,325 (See http://www.lexingtonmultipleprojects.com/documents/). The second set added space primarily for the ILP special education program, but included two general-education classrooms, bringing the capacity to approximately 2,375. While the current enrollment of 2,212 is within the general—use classroom capacity, other facilities such as the cafeteria and science laboratories are severely overcrowded. (There may be a future request for funding interim relief for those laboratories.) The median projected enrollment is expected to hit 2,371 by the 2020-2021 school year, and to increase to 2,561 by 2022-2023. It is expected that the high school will need extensive renovations, or replacement, soon after the new Hastings is complete. Funding for project planning may be requested as early as FY2021. While there are no official cost estimates at this time, and costs may depend on renovation versus replacement, this will be a significant capital undertaking. Based on recent Massachusetts high school projects it is expected to cost in the range of two-to three-hundred—million dollars. • While capital projects for the LPS buildings and their environs are managed by the DPF,there are often requests for capital appropriations directly managed by LPS in the following four areas. School Technology Program There is a long-term plan to upgrade technology throughout the schools by replacing the oldest computers, peripherals, projection systems, network-delivery systems, and other associated hardware and software to use as enhanced instructional and administrative tools. Some additional equipment, such as iPads for the middle school,is needed to accommodate the increased enrollment and some new equipment is needed for mandated computerized testing. Additional equipment is being sought to improve delivery of science, technology, engineering and arts curriculum. (See Article 19.) 32