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Home My WebLink About2024-11-13-STM-SBC-rept-qr ' LEXINGTON November 13, 2024 Dear Town Meeting Members: This report is submitted on behalf of the School Building Committee (SBC) for the Lexington High School building project. Last spring, we sent this SBC Report w March 2024, to Town Meeting Members, and the purpose of this report is to share recent high school project developments with you. To date, the SBC has held approximately 160 meetings. The types of meetings include the School Building Committee, Student -School Building Committee, stakeholder engagement, community forums, focus groups, and financial summits. Lexington has an engaged citizenry with a strong interest in all municipal matters. We continue to benefit from the high participation level of residents eager to lend their expertise and learn about all facets of the new high school building project. PROBLEM Lexington High School was built nearly 75 years ago. The building is outdated and deteriorating, lacks full ADA compliance, and is at risk of system failure. Operating LHS in its current state is becoming increasingly more costly. The building is not energy efficient, the air quality is substandard, and we must contend with roof leaks, HVAC, and boiler issues yearly. Students and staff are regularly relocated from 50 -degree classrooms with no heat. Many classrooms have no natural light and are 26% smaller than the recommended size. Inadequate space for students with disabilities, science labs, performing arts spaces, and large core spaces make providing a modern, 21 st-century education impossible. Beyond the aging and inadequate facilities, LHS is significantly overcrowded. The core spaces were built for 1,850 students, and with 2,420 students, we have exceeded our planned operating capacity by approximately 600 students. PROJECT TIMELINE The project's timeline is the Lexington community's most frequently asked question. Much work remains, and the decision about building a new high school ultimately rests with Town Meeting Members and Lexington voters. The timeline below reflects a possible move -in date of 2029-2030. Please also note the following: (1) All of the dates after a successful Town Meeting and Debt Exclusion vote are subject to change based on the selected option; (2) The construction duration is shown to provide a potential range; however, the final duration will be determined toward the end Lexington Public Schools 1146 Maple Street I Lexington, MA 102420 1 of the initial design; and (3) The move -in date will be determined after an option is selected, and the anticipated move -in date is currently 2029-2030. 2024 2025t :28 2029 2030 2031 SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES 1. Completion of Module 1—A district must follow nine MSBA modules from start to finish. These modules protect the municipality's and the Commonwealth's significant investment in school construction projects. Once the MSBA Board officially voted to partner with Lexington, they invited us into the "Eligibility Period," a 270 -day process designed to determine whether a district is ready to fund and manage a capital project. During this period, we had to demonstrate our community's readiness to take on such a project by completing "Module 1," which includes seven (7) steps: a. Execute an initial compliance certification b. Form a School Building Committee c. Complete an Educational Profile d. Summarize the district's maintenance practices e. Certify design enrollment f. Complete a local vote for feasibility, project scope, and budget g. Enter into a Feasibility Study Agreement, establishing a process for the District to be reimbursed for eligible expenses. 2. Completion of Module 2—" Forming the Project Team" is the focus of Module 2. Once we procured the Owner's Project Manager and the Designer, our team collaborated with the MSBA to develop our educational program, generate an initial space summary, document existing conditions, establish design parameters, and evaluate alternatives. The MSBA requires the School Building Committee to recommend the most cost-effective and educationally appropriate preferred solution. Lexington Public Schools 1146 Maple Street I Lexington, MA 102420 2 3. Module 3 Feasibility Study—Lexington entered into Feasibility in November 2023, and it is a 13 -month process. In collaboration with the Project Team, the District must submit a detailed space summary, a local actions and approvals certification, a budget for a preferred schematic design, a feasibility study completion checklist, submittal dates for board meetings, a sustainable building design policy, and more. On November 12th, the School Building Committee will vote for a preferred schematic design to recommend to the MSBA. 4. Narrowing the Design Options—The School Building Committee's charge is to deliver the most cost-effective, educationally appropriate massing concept to advance as the preferred schematic design. At the beginning of this process, the MSBA requires the Designers to produce a series of massing concepts (not yet designs) in various categories: code -only upgrades, renovation, add/reno, and new builds. The idea is to keep an open mind and explore many options throughout the Feasibility Study to determine the best choice for the community. The Project Team took this task to heart, delivering 19 massing concepts, many of which were inspired by Lexington residents' ideas. In May, the SBC held an afternoon retreat to narrow these design options to five, and shortly thereafter, a new idea was added based on community feedback. The options below, Quad, Figure Eight, Branch, Braid, Bloom, and Weave, reflect the six massing concepts that must now be narrowed to two choices and then to one option on November 12, 2024. Construction Alternative Surnmary I 1,� (:usull salu°ar °oa, hiu„:oral I[3uaullk,fiulig ,� Cnihil ra� (Wlua: e I- Reiii4mv,rted IF Iodd loi,i;,we Alternative 131 Quad d.4Figure Eight Ud Branch Ub Braid C, ab1I to rnr D,2" 'r v Projed Cost *Total cosh with Grants & Rebates Construar tliran Duration $169 9,000:000 701,0100,000 $646,0001,1000 $645,000,0010 $648,0001 ,000 $720,000 ,0010 6 Years 6.25 Yezrrs 4.51 Years 4.5 Years 45 Yeaar,s, 6,5 Ypaars 0 of Phases 4 building i-1 site biuillding + I site 1 building i 1 site 1 building + 1 si tua 1 building, +1 site 4 buliding + I site Buiiding Locations Existing Footprint Existing F'n,ratEriniG Reids IFields Fields Existing Footprint odulnir max 32 42 0 0 48 Required II f�lll 4 I1 a J 1 I fl+ MID I louI G��I Ililll�' 'Estimated $140M Gi ants & Rebates ') n i Fina I Lexington Public Schools 1146 Maple Street I Lexington, MA 102420 3 <, * aid toy %�r arr u. �w. 9,R j 1 1))Jii r�' if ��” /J 41 f ff/'J ✓„H J 1 4 f, r,,,""" / f Y "f 14 ru, vv n „e; % 'Estimated $140M Gi ants & Rebates ') n i Fina I Lexington Public Schools 1146 Maple Street I Lexington, MA 102420 3 5. Bloom and Weave—The School Building Committee voted unanimously to narrow the design options to two on October 21, 2024. Bloom is a "new construction on fields" option; "Weave" is "new construction phased -in-place." There are pros and cons associated with each option, as depicted in the graphics below. Bloom is one of the least expensive new construction options; it has the shortest construction duration. Construction will not impact the Center Track or the playground, and the completed building will stay off the C1, C2, and C7 playing fields. Modular units cost approximately $400,000 each, and none are required for this option. However, part of the building would be on undeveloped land, the construction is close to the existing school, and a large number of photovoltaic (PV) canopies would be erected between the building and Worthen Road. The Recreation Committee has officially endorsed the Bloom option, which builds on the playing fields at the Center Track Recreation Complex. PROS * One of the kast axpenslve new co:anstruct�on options * ;phot.estwinrytiuctiloriduiration(4.5years) * Stays off Center Track, the DlaygrC)Uind,and C1, C2, and C7 pk7Yinf ffie[ds. * See bete I?fya..re aii:ii..�.t:�..0:xFerri ee� ...form.n.?.lc,.ndoir.:.ean,ae�ant * INO rnaclular Units irr elun,ad * RecollStIRIUS and innp eaves playing fields Level t U progranrn adjacencies * FleexllAity of progi arn arganlzation * Good bvlc tai 1.sen(e * V'un bikty of main entry ffrrann Worthen Road * Scaled down rnassing at adjacent payffround CONS * Pai t of bUildurng 011 Undeveloped) land * C011s'V:reuCdOnu ctose to exis�Jng st:ferara�l Largo r1Ur bc.,r of t:)hotovaftalc (IPV) ca. nolpies between the l'uildimg, tone'.# Worthier) )dread 17 Weave reduces the impact on fields, allows for flexibility of program organization, and maintains its current civic presence and relationship to Muzzey Street. However, it is one of Lexington Public Schools 1146 Maple Street I Lexington, MA 102420 4 the most expensive options with the longest construction duration, at 6.5 years. It also requires 48 modular units at a cost of over $19M. i ii g wY 'n r PROS • Reduces, iirripaact rain He ilds vs. rather new co structiion a I'tr rii • Flexibility of prograaim orttr otic alien • Maintains ccarreintcivic presence and reVa tionship to MUZZeyr Street: • Poteritiaa foroa,.tck�oor clnssi,00linns CONS ani One of the most expensive options 0, 48, irricvhilar units rccpiJred at a cost of $19M+ * The oingest coinlriiiichoin duration (6.5 years) * Phased crJrsStruacticsro is More clisli and Lime, intensive tilr�nrw new coinsrin..�r. ni On November 12, 2024, the School Building Committee will vote on which of the two design options, Bloom or Weave, will become the Preferred Schematic Design. We look forward to updating you on our progress at the Special Fall Town Meeting on November 13, 2024. Thank you for your continued support. Sincerely, Kathleen Lenihan Chair of the School Building Committee Lexington Public Schools 1146 Maple Street I Lexington, MA 102420 5