New Schools Making Steady Progress

By Kate Anslinger

“The pride and joy of the new high school is a result of this committee’s efforts,” said Peter Gill at Monday night’s School Building Assistance Committee meeting. “The design of the building is phenomenal and this team has been a pleasure to work with. Everyone has been so cooperative.”

Gill’s sincere words offered an uplifting start to a productive meeting. The high school/middle school project, which is being completed at a steady rate, is now 68 percent complete, leaving it right on track with the original production timeline. The $80.2 million project involves roughly 188,000 square feet. The project broke ground in June of 2014.

The weather has played an important role in helping the diligent workers to stay on track with projected timeline of construction, allowing them to work further into the season than planned.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority is reimbursing the town for 60 percent of the costs or up to $42.5 million. Voter’s approved a debt exclusion override in 2013 to fund the town’s portion through property taxes.

One of the minor changes that need to be implemented is the addition of more doors in the school’s corridors, in hopes of ensuring adequate separation of high school and middle school students, said Project Manager Alan Pemstein of HMSH.  The goal is to have two distinct and separate schools and it is a top priority to make sure there is a clear separation between the two schools and that there is no co-mingling of students.

A wider doorway that allows adequate space for music students to travel with their instruments is also a concern that has been addressed and set into motion. There was a question whether a tuba or baby grand piano would fit. Another topic that is in the process of being brainstormed is the addition of clear signage that offers distinct direction to the locker rooms as well as recognizable signs that maintain order at the front of the building.

Residents can now access the main road of the school, as the majority of the outdoor work has been completed, with only a week or two left of cleanup and landscaping efforts.

The gym is nearing completion, leaving only the finishing touches and inspirational quotes to be painted on the walls. Next on the agenda is to begin work on the third floor classrooms, which is slated to begin in February. The auditorium has also made great progress, as all the mechanical work is complete and the walls and staging have been painted.

Some of the more recent activity in the progress has been the committee’s persistence on finding the perfect furniture for the various configurations that will be part of the new building.

“We have been working with experts to determine the right furniture,” said Frank Woods, curriculum director for the Winthrop Schools. “It’s important that we choose functional and durable pieces.”

Overall, the progress of the school is staying in line with the projected timeline and it’s safe to say that the building will be the pride and joy of the town when in opens in September 2016