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Home My WebLink About2019-03-08-SMPAC-min Lexington Public Schools Master Planning Committee Friday, March 8, 2019 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Lexington High School, Library Media Room, 251 Waltham Street Master Planning Committee Members Present: Dr.Julie Hackett Sara Cuthbertson Dr. Maureen Kavanaugh Charles Hornig Michael Cronin Daniel Voss Donna DiNisco Daniel Abramson Kate Colburn Richard Perry Kathleen Lenihan Joe Pato Alan Levine (Liaison) Sandy Beebee (Liaison) Lexington High School and other Staff Present: Andrew Stephens, Avon Lewis (current LEA President) Powerpoints: • Aerial photos of LHS Site • LHS short term strategies The minutes were taken by Maureen Kavanaugh, Director of Planning and Assessment for the Lexington Public Schools. I. LHS Statement of Interest(SOI) update:Superintendent Julie Hackett summarized key revisions provided by members during and after our last meeting and described how these were incorporated into the SOI; this will be reviewed by school committee members and shared again with members. II. Review of LHS site over the years starting in 1939(Presentation prepared by Charles Hornig): Charles Hornig walked members through a number of aerial photos of the LHS site and described notable changes that occured over the years (see attached powerpoint). III. LHS short-term "strategies" presentation and discussion (LHS Principal,Andrew Stephens and Donna DiNisco) A. While we plan toward a new or renovated high school, increases in enrollment are expected to continue; we need to adapt within the current facility. It was suggested that the proposed strategies could be implemented in phases, instead of a wholesale change all at once. B. Since our last meeting, LHS Principal,Andrew Stephens and Donna DiNisco also met with the Director of Special Education. She is in support of the proposed space changes that relate to special education programs. C. In general, LHS currently has a high utilization of spaces (above the typical 85%of use). D. Staff from LHS and from DiNisco Design have reviewed the spaces in question, physically examining them and also met with staff who use these space. 1. Included in these discussions was a reminder from staff that we keep focused on the needs of our students and the high quality program we strive to deliver; there are instances where space can be mined or found, but we must be sure it does not unduly compromise the program and our ability to service and support students. E. The presentation included a summary of considerations that were in mind when coming up and reviewing short term strategies (slide 4); review of enrollment numbers (current & projected) against capacity definitions (slide 5) and walked members through a phased approach to modifying existing spaces within the current facilities to accommodate the growing enrollment. 1. Need to update slide 7 to include+1 in the science lab row for the first two years of the expansion (e.g. portable additions)/mining plan 2. In closer evaluation of space mining ideas proposed in an earlier meeting, some were deemed impractical;for example some changes would mean staff would have multiple assigned classrooms on opposite ends of the school throughout a given day("would have to outrun students to their next class") 3. Timing of implementation is somewhat flexible; projects can be executed in smaller or larger groupings a) From a student perspective, it might not be ideal to have changes every year(unless the benefits outweigh the disruptions); is it possible to group the construction projects to avoid this? 4. By 2024-25, we will have to begin to make some very difficult choices (e.g. LABBB program participation or those that have more significant financial implications) 5. Suggesting we use portables, not modulars, for any additions;the latter is a more permanent solution,which we wouldn't necessary need/want, given a new or renovated high school on the horizon a) The current plan calls for these additions later on, but it might make more sense to add them sooner rather than later so that we have the opportunity to use them for more years (prior to a new or renovated high school) b) Utility lines are a very important consideration when choosing placement of any portables; slides showed the location of gas and sewer lines (though this needs to verified/finalized) 6. Also included discussion of cafeteria expansion -current commons cannot accommodate the current population, let alone the additional enrollment. When an expansion was originally looked at a smaller addition would actually choose to eat there;therefore a larger expansion into the quad is being proposed. F. Next steps: 1. Pricing out facility expansion & new furniture Q: Would these come from the capital budget? A: Depends on the ask; need to gather more information to answer this 2. Will also re-examine the timeline G. Observations and notes from members: a) Regarding moving LEA out of current space in high school: agreement that central office is not appropriate (members need a setting where they feel comfortable to meet with president), but open to placement in any other school b) Current facility is structured with a department focus;this is not in total alignment with interdisciplinary or project based learning approaches c) Over the course of the plan,we will lose the very few large spaces LHS has for large group and/or collaborative instruction and also for large staff or community meetings d) Longer term:the decision between a new high school vs renovated high school has implications for what we do in the short term; if we are talking about renovation, some of these changes can be considered an early investment in a renovation e) We are trying to manage under very tight conditions; what if something unanticipated occurs (i.e. major HVAC system failure)?Would like this as a consideration when planning for the next few years f) Implementation of short term strategies will take time and money to plan and execute; this is on top of the resources needed to formulate and execute the longer term strategy for a new or renovated high school; need to think about what kind of investment we want to make in the short term with the bigger picture in mind IV. Tour of Lexington High School V. Approval of minutes from February 8,2019 VI. Closing thoughts/next steps