Easthampton Public Schools

Building Project

Public Information Forum

June 29, 2017
 Forum Agenda
Greeting Karen Cadieux, Mayor
Introduction Thomas Brown, Chair
School Building Committee
Project Overview Nancy Follansbee, Superintendent
Educational Program Nancy Follansbee, Superintendent
MSBA Process Mel Overmoyer, Colliers
Owners Project Manager
Project Options Analysis Bert Gardner, Project Architect
Caolo & Bieniek Associates
Annual Cost Efficiencies Dayle Doiron, Director
Business Services
Project Costs & Tax Impacts - Mel Overmoyer, Colliers
Owners Project Manager
Questions
 School Building Committee
Thomas Brown, Chair David Mottor
Karen Cadieux, Mayor Marin Goldstein
Nancy Follansbee, Superintendent John Atwater
Dayle Doiron, Director of Business Services Daniel Carey
Melissa Zawadzki, City Treasurer Patrick Brough
Debora Lusnia, School Committee Chair David Boyle
Eric LeBeau, Director of Maintenance
Judith Averill, Principal
 The Need
All 3 Elementary Schools are 100+ years old (Maple, Center, Pepin)
o Antiquated mechanical systems
o Inefficient and costly building shells leading to high utility costs
o Limited outdoor play and learning space
o Overcrowding
o No room to expand the buildings
o Inadequate parking

White Brook Middle School

o 45 years old with failing building systems
o Poor energy efficiency - largest consumer of electricity in City
o Open classroom design provides poor educational environment

Existing buildings do not support current educational standards

o 21st century learning & teaching
o Buildings do not comply with current building standards and codes
 Pursuing the MSBA Grant
(Massachusetts School Building Authority)

Statements of Interest (SOI) submitted to MSBA in

2012, 2013, 2014
o Must focus on a single building project
o Submitted for improvements to White Brook Middle
School
o All 3 years MSBA rejected Easthamptons SOI for White
Brook MS

Statement of Interest submitted to MSBA in 2014

o Submitted to improve Maple, Pepin, & Center Schools
o MSBA accepted SOI for Maple
o MSBA also allowed evaluation of consolidation strategy
for grades Pre-K to 4 and Pre-K to 8
 MSBA Process & Schedule
Local Approval Timeline
2014 Dec 2016 Sept 2017 March 2018

Public Forum

Public Forum
Public Forum
Public Forum

Public Forum
Easthampton Preliminary Submit Submit June 2018
Submitted Design Preferred Schematic Easthampton
Statement of Program Schematic Design Public Vote
Interest Submission Report Report

Sept
Design &

May
Sept

May
Mar

Mar
Nov
2014 thru
Nov

Aug
July
Aug

Dec
Dec
July

Apr
Feb

Feb

Apr
Oct
Oct

Jun
Jan

Jan
June 2016 Construction

2016 2017 2018

March 2015 Late Sept October 25, May 2018

Fall 2021
MSBA 2017 2017 MSBA
Anticipated
Accepts MSBA MSBA Board
New School
Statement of Facilities Board Approval
Opening
Interest Assessment Approval of of Scope
Committee Preferred and
Meeting Solution Budget

MSBA Timeline
 Visioning

Participants
o Mayor
o School Department Administrators
o Teachers
o Students
o Parents
o Community Members
 Priority Goals

Small School Feel, Large School Pride

Holistic and Joyful Learning

Flexible and Adaptable Spaces

Green Spaces
 Educational Program Options

Options studied as mandated by MSBA

Maple Elementary School
Consolidation of Pre-K to Grade 4
Consolidation of Pre-K to Grade 8

Considerations for each Ed Program required by MSBA

Teaching Philosophies & Methods
Districts Curriculum Goals
Grade & School Configuration Policies
Class Size Policies
School Scheduling Method
Teaching Methodology & Structure
Teacher Planning
Pre-K & Kindergarten
Food Service Programs
Technology Instruction
Visual Arts Program
Performing Arts Programs
Physical Education Programs
Special Education Programs
Technology Programs
Transportation Policies
Security & Visual Access Requirements
Why a Pre-K to Grade 8 Facility?
o Equitable access to 21st century education

o Full handicap access to educational program for all students

o Reconfigured grade alignment to Pre-K to 5 and grades 6 to 8

o Eliminates moving students from school to school

o Technology to support 21st century college and career readiness

o Green spaces for science and nature studies, Phys. Ed., and gardens

o Staff can be placed more effectively across grade levels

o Resources to better support students with special needs

o Facilitates community-building across all grade levels

Why a Pre-K to Grade 8 Facility?
(continued)

o Fewer transitions for students and families

o Educational resources can be shared

o Facilitates a strong continuum of curriculum and instruction

o Provides opportunities for staff to collaborate and share ideas

o Opportunities for older students to mentor younger students

o Supports family and community engagement Pre-K to 8

o Improved parking and access, safety, food services

o Improved instructional spaces for STEM, art, music, PE

 Project Options Analysis
Pre-K through Grade 4 Pre-K through Grade 8
A B C D E E-1 E-2
Project Maple Maple New School New New Reno & Reno &
Base Repair Renovation at Maple Consolidated Pre-K to 8 Minor Addn Major Addn
Approach & Addn Pre-K to 4
School at
School at Pre-K to 8 at Pre-K to 8 at
White Brook White Brook White Brook
White Brook
Students Served 195 195 195 535 1,010 1,010 1,010

Adequate Site No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Temporary Classrooms Required Required Required Not Required Not Required Not Required Not Required
Not
Barrier-Free Access Maple only Maple only Maple only Whitebrook 100% 100% 100%
Not
21st Century Technology None Maple only Maple only 100% 100% 100%
Whitebrook
21st Century Teaching Not
None Maple only Maple only 100% 80% 90%
Environment Whitebrook
Quality facilities for all
grade levels No No No Not 5 to 8 Yes Yes Yes
Supports Districts
No No No No Yes Yes Yes
Educational Plan
Meets Long Term Needs Negligible Low Low Moderate High High High

Highly Advantageous Moderately Advantageous Minimally Advantageous

 New Pre-K Grade 8 School
Separate Entrances for Middle School Common Program
MS, ES, and Pre-K Program & Public Use
Clean Separation Elementary School Service Area
Between MS and ES Program
Program Spaces
Separation of Public
Space from Learning EXISTING
FOOTBALL FIELD
Spaces
Optimal Orientation of
Classroom Wings for
Views and Passive
Solar Strategies PRE-K
ENTRY
E.S. M.S.

Minimal Impact to the ENTRY ENTRY

Existing Whitebrook
Building (No Temporary
Classrooms Required)
Respects Sensitive
Environmental Zones
 New Pre-K to 8 Facility
Cost Efficiencies
Food service savings

Preventative maintenance savings

Emergency repairs savings

Equipment redundancy savings

Snow removal savings

Electricity expense savings

Heating expense savings

 Pre-K to 8 Annual Utility Savings
Annual Utility Costs per Gross Square Foot ($/GSF) Annual
Utility
$- $0.20 $0.40 $0.60 $0.80 $1.00 $1.20 $1.40 $1.60 $1.80 Costs
$83,330
Pepin
$207,531
White Brook
$39,685
Maple
$17,336
Center
Total Annual Utility Costs for existing K-8 schools $347,882
EHS $136,730
Fossil Fuel
Proposed K-8 School utility usage based upon similar systems and usage as new High School
Electricity
New K-8
School
$223,904

GSF Utility Costs Utility $/GSF

New High School Utility Usage 110,500 $136,730 $1.24
Existing K-8 Schools Utility Usage 233,460 $347,882 $1.49
Proposed K-8 School Projected Utility Usage 180,950 $223,904 $1.24

Reduced GSF & Utility Savings 52,510 $123,978

Cost Comparison: Repair Existing
vs. Build New Pre-K to 8
Total Repairs Only Cost
Total Repair & Code Compliance Cost for all 4 schools estimated at $115 million
Maple Elementary School
Center Elementary School
Pepin Elementary School
White Brook Middle School
MSBA will participate in only one building project at a time.
Unlikely MSBA will invite another (third) Easthampton project for many years
therefore leaving 2 century old elementary schools and Whitebrook unimproved.
Repairs do not provide facilities for a 21st century educational program
Repairs do not meet MSBA space standards therefore less reimbursement

New Pre-K to Grade 8 School Preliminary Project Cost

Pre-K to grade 8 project estimated total cost range between $101 to $109 Million
Net total cost range to Easthampton for Pre-K to 8 project would be $52 to $61
Million
 Preliminary Anticipated Tax
Impact of New Pre-K to 8 School
Preliminary Assumptions:
Total bond debt for Project of $61 million
4% interest rate on bond funding
Range of bond term: 20 to 30 years
Options for determining annual debt service:
Flat principle payment plan
Flat total payment plan
Variable principle payment plan
Average Easthampton home assessment value of $228,400
Preliminary tax impact range: $2.98 to $3.83 per $1,000 of
assessed value
Annual Tax Impact on Average Homeowner: $680 to $875
 Advantages to Building New
Pre-K to 8 School Now
Only Solution that meets all student needs

Most Cost effective solution over the long term

Takes advantage of MSBA reimbursement of approximately 62% on all 4 buildings

MSBA reimbursement may not be available in the future

Addresses issues in all 4 old and outdated buildings at once

Provides equity of educational program for families and students in all grades

Avoids additional inflationary impact on project cost (currently 4% per year)

o Project cost for the high school in 2013 $43.7 million
o Estimated project cost for same school in 2021 $60 million

Low interest bonding is currently still available

 Anticipated Benefits
to the Community
Promotes strong community building by keeping
our children and families in our schools

Keeps resources in our city for community use

o FY17 estimated cost to the City for School Choice students $1,070,763
o FY17 estimated cost to the City for Charter School student $ 941,209
o FY17 estimated total cost to the City for Choice and Charter $2,011,972

Expands the positive effects of our new high

school
o Students leaving the district for Choice and Charter has been decreasing
o Increase in students using the Choice program to attend our schools
- FY17 estimated Choice-in revenue $633,264
 Next Steps

July 18, 2017 Next Public Forum

September 14, 2017 Submit Preferred Solution to MSBA

September , 2017 Fall 2017 Public Forum

September 20 or Meet w/ MSBA Facilities Assessment

October 4 , 2017 Committee

October 25, 2017 MSBA Board approves Preferred

Solution
Questions