WALTHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS MASTER PLAN · PDF fileWALTHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS MASTER PLAN SPACE UTILIZATION STUDY ... Elizabeth S. Gavin, McDevitt Middle John Cawley, Kennedy Middle Gregory

WALTHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MASTER PLAN

Space Utilization Study

Waltham, Massachusetts

December 12, 2014

Submitted by,

Symmes Maini & McKee Associates

Cambridge, MA

SMMA No. 13093.00

Space Utilization Study WALTHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS TOC | 1

WALTHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS MASTER PLAN SPACE UTILIZATION STUDY

Table of Contents

1 | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1 Acknowledgements

1.2 Introduction

1.3 Background

1.4 Space Utilization: Educational Evaluation and Program

2 | SPACE UTILIZATION AND CAPACITY ANALYSIS

2.1 Class Sizes

2.2 Elementary Schools

2.3 Middle Schools

2.4 High School

2.5 Decommissioned Buildings

2.6 Capacity Analysis

3 | DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAMS

3.1 Pre-Kindergarten

3.2 Special Education (SPED)

3.3 English Language Learners (ELL)

3.4 Drama

3.5 Elementary Science

3.6 Chapter 74

4 | ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS

5 | RECOMMENDATIONS AND OPTIONS

5.1 Elementary Schools

5.2 Middle Schools

5.3 High Schools

5.4 Focus Groups and Community Meetings

5.5 Recommendations to the School Committee

5.6 Next Steps

Space Utilization Study WALTHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS TOC | 2

6 | APPENDIX

6.1 New England School Development Council, NESDEC

6.2 Future Think

6.3 Meeting Minutes

Section 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

WALTHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS MASTER PLAN



Space Utilization Study WALTHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS 1 | 1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Symmes Maini & McKee Associates (SMMA) would like to acknowledge the

participation and guidance provided by the school committee, district

administration, principals, teachers and staff of the district.

School Committee

Jeanette A. McCarthy, Mayor, Chairperson

John B. Graceffa, Vice Chairperson

Dr. Susan Nicholson, Superintendent and Clerk of the School Committee

Marian K. Parrella, Administrative Assistant to the School Committee

Margaret Donnelly

Kathleen Dowcett

John A. Frassica

Stephen Rando Jr.

Edmund Tarallo

School Principals

Dr. Nadene Stein, Northeast Elementary

Ross Mulkerin, Whittemore Elementary

Jane Gately, MacArthur Elementary

David Castelline, Fitzgerald Elementary

Jennifer Hacker, Stanley Elementary

Maureen Taddeo, Plympton Elementary

Elizabeth S. Gavin, McDevitt Middle

John Cawley, Kennedy Middle

Gregory DeMeo, Waltham High School



1.2 INTRODUCTION

This Space Utilization Study is intended to:

Determine current space usage within each of the 6 elementary schools, 2

middle schools, and the high school

Determine the program allocations and the implication of the demand for

specialty programs including but not limited to Pre-K, Special Education, ELL,

and Chapter 74 on each school.

Review current enrollment data and projected enrollment for all grades PreK to

grade 12

Formulate space utilization options and recommendations for the district and

individual schools as appropriate

Facilitate focus groups and community meetings to determine feedback on

options as they are developed

Provide a facilities utilization plan that provides a set of alternative options to

respond to rising enrollments

This report documents both the process and the resulting recommendations arrived

at by SMMA with direction and feedback provided by the School Committee, focus

groups, and community meetings.

Based on the educational delivery needs, enrollment and projected growth of the

district, conceptual options were developed.

1.3 BACKGROUND

SMMA was tasked to review Waltham Public Schools’ buildings to determine the

capacity of each school and for the overall district based on current use. The study

involves analyzing the special programs at each school to determine the amount of

space required in addition to typical classrooms.

The principals, and key staff were interviewed to better understand how the school

currently function educationally and how they might change in the future to improve

21st Century teaching and learning methodologies.

1.4 SPACE UTILIZATION: EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION AND PROGRAM

In February of 2014, SMMA met with the principals of each school to understand the

needs of the school as related to teaching and learning and to evaluate how each

space in the schools were being used, or had originally been programmed for use.

Over the years since some of the schools were built or renovated, changing

demographics have altered some space usage, especially for ELL and SPED

requirements.



Space Types, Numbers and Sizes

The numbers and types of teaching spaces identified by the principals in each

school was entered into the MSBA’s “Summary of Spaces” spreadsheet along with

the number and sizes of teaching spaces in the current building. The Summary of

Spaces identifies all program spaces needed within the school for teaching, support

functions, administration etc. (summary included at end of this section).

At the elementary and middle schools, spaces were evaluated for size and quantity

and are for the most part in line with current state standards. This is reflective of their

newness.

Waltham High School has a number of areas that do not meet current guidelines for

size and quantity as recommended by the MSBA. Some of the areas do not meet

guidelines because they are undersized, others lack upgrades in technology and

modern amenities. The areas that are most out of compliance include:

Core Academic (general classrooms)

Core Academic (Science)

Special Education

Media Center

Music

Medical

Special Programs

Special programs throughout some of the district’s schools were evaluated in order

to understand current and future space needs. At the Northeast and Stanley

Elementary Schools, the PreK program, its needs, growth, and space utilization were

evaluated. At the High School, future growth of Chapter 74 programs were

discussed and the space required to effectively serve the existing programs.

As a follow-up to these meetings, in March of 2014 SMMA met with the district’s

Directors of Special Education and English Language Learners (ELL) to determine

the existing space utilization and evaluate future growth needs within each of the

programs.

21st Century Teaching and Learning Ideas

Although many alternative delivery ideas were discussed with the principals as part

of the interviews, implementation of many of them require modifications to

curriculum, professional development for teachers, different types of furniture,

and/or space including break-out space. Examples can include:

Breakout rooms or areas for individual, pair or small group learning. This could

be for: differentiated learning to accommodate certain learning styles;

independent study; tutorial or remedial teaching. These types of spaces can be

beneficial at all grade levels.



Maker Spaces: hands on space, often with age appropriate tools to create,

prototype, and test ideas and projects, most often related to Project Based

Learning. These types of spaces can be beneficial at all grade levels.

Project Based Learning: This learning modality meets curriculum content goals

by asking students to address deep, open-ended situations, such as solving

problems or inventing things. It is naturally inclined to interdisciplinary learning

and student collaboration, both highly valued 21st century learning values

Flexible and ergonomic furniture - typically light weight, easy to move and

more comfortable than the traditional hard plastic or wood furniture. It

recognizes that individuals learn better when one is comfortable

Active Learning (vs. passive learning): any situation where students are

participatory and involved often by making, doing, role playing, discussing,

debating etc, vs. just listening to the teacher

Flipped Classrooms: a delivery process in which the curriculum content:

lecture, video, reading or other is provided to the student to experience outside

the classroom (homework) and class time is used for discussion with and

between the students. A component of Active Learning.

Teacher Planning Areas - where teachers from the same or different

disciplines can plan curriculum delivery using the above or other methodologies.

1.5 ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS

SMMA reviewed the 2013-2014 enrollment projections as provided in the

Demographic Report (included at end of this section). NESDEC’s report indicates

that the two largest contributing factors to enrollment growth are the number of

births to Waltham residents and new in-migration to the district. They determined

that the primary reason that Waltham Public Schools is seeing an overall enrollment

increase is due to larger populations if Kindergarteners replacing smaller graduating

classes.

In addition, SMMA engaged Future Think to verify the results found in the NESDEC

projections report. Future Think also provided their own enrollment projections

based on the cohort survival model which analyzed the following data: births,

historical enrollment and survival ratios, community demographics, and housing

information. The data from their projects was within 1% of the values found in the

NESDEC report (full report included at end of this section).

CAPACITY ANALYSIS

Based on the information that was gathered through meetings with principals, key

staff, and program directors, available general education classrooms and classroom

maximum capacities allowed SMMA to determine building capacities based on

current use.



Current Available Classrooms Current Capacity Capacity

Avg

Capacity

Without Pre-K

Classrooms With Pre-K Classrooms

2014 - 2015

Enrollments

(9/17/14)

# of Pre-

K

Classrms

# of

Kinderg

arten

Classr

ms

# of Gen Ed

Classrooms

(1-5)

# of Gen Ed, plus

Art, Science and

Voc (6-12)

Total

Classrms

(K +

Grade

Level)*

Current

Average

Capacity

Capacity

@

15/Class

for Pre-K,

18

students

per class

Capacity @

18 students

per class K,

23 Grades

1-12

Current

Capacity @

18 students

per class

Current

Capacity @

18 students

per class K,

23 Grades 1-

12

PreK 171 12

14 180

Northeast ES 368 8 4 16 20 18 360 440 504 624

Whittemore ES 435 0 5 21 26 17 468 573 468 573

MacArthur ES 372 0 4 16 20 19 360 440 360 440

Fitzgerald ES 513 0 5 23 28 18 504 619 504 619

Stanley ES 454 4 5 19 24 19 432 527 504 619

Plympton ES 439 0 5 19 24 18 432 527 432 527

ES total (K-5) 2581 12 28 114 142 18 2556 3126 2772 3402

McDevitt MS 556 0 0 34

520 665

Kennedy MS 540 0 0 39

597 762

Waltham HS 1453 0 0 92

1408 1799

*Classroom counts exclude dedicated ELL and SPED classrooms and specialized classrooms (Band, Chorus, Chapter 74 spaces)

Middle School Note: 85% utilization factor applied. Does not consider team teaching

High School note: 85% utilization factor applied. Chapter 74 Spaces not included

Section 2 SPACE UTILIZATION AND CAPACITY

ANALYSIS



2 | SPACE UTILIZATION

Space Utilization Study WALTHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS 2/1

SPACE UTILIZATION

INTRODUCTION

The Waltham School District serves a large urban and suburban community.

Facilities currently occupied and maintained by the Waltham School Department

consists of nine schools, totaling 1,188,700 GSF and serving a total population of

over 5,130 students.

Waltham Public School District is comprised of 6 elementary schools, 2 middle

schools, and 1 high school. Currently, 3 elementary schools feed into each

middle school, and all feed into the high school. In addition to the active school

buildings, SMMA evaluated plans and visited the sites of the Fitch School and the

Lawrence School which are both not being used by the districts as educational

buildings currently.

Schools Address Grades

Population

(app date

10/1/14)

Acres GSF Building Date

Elementary Schools

Northeast ES 70 Putney Lane PreK - 5 476 30.56 92,170 January 2004

Whittemore ES 30 Parmenter Road K - 5 435 1.97 83,000 1927, addition 1977,

addition in 2008

MacArthur ES 494 Lincoln Street K - 5 372 21.45 78,239 January 2006

Fitzgerald ES 140 Beal Road K - 5 513 2.48 77,040 1945, addition 1947,

addition in 2008

Stanley ES 250 South Street PreK - 5 518 4.98 94,200 January 2003

Plympton ES 20 Farnsworth Street K - 5 439 1.33 79,007 2005

Middle Schools

McDevitt MS 75 Church Street 6 - 8 556 9.31 129,020 September 2003

Kennedy MS 655 Lexington Street 6 - 8 540 43.80 173,000 September 2006

High School

Waltham HS 617 Lexington Street 9 - 12 1,453 30.69 383,000

1969, Vo Tech outbuilding in

1998, Fine Arts Center

Renovation 2001



WALTHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS 2/2

The District faces many challenges regarding its facilities. The three most

prominent issues are:

Capacity/Overcrowding: Overcrowding is a current problem that will only be

exacerbated by the anticipated future growth.

Lack of appropriate spaces: Each of the buildings lack spaces for 21st century

education. Lack of smaller spaces for resource, private meetings, and one-

on-one interactions with students puts additional pressure on larger

classrooms.

Small landlocked sites: Small lot size limits the potential for expanding

existing buildings in order to address capacity needs.




Other district-wide issues include:

Special Programs: As described in Section 2, the needs and space requirements

for special programs in the district is also increasing proportionately to the overall

population increase. Some of the examples of these programs and PreK, Special

Education, ELL, and others.

Limited Technology: The Waltham School Department is aggressively working

towards a 21st century educational model that includes integrating technology in

the classrooms. Assuring that each school has the capability of supporting 1:1

with wireless bandwidth will be a challenge, particularly in buildings with older

infrastructure.

Dedicated Program Spaces: The district is working very hard to maintain

dedicated classrooms or teaching spaces for drama and science at the

elementary schools.

2.1 CLASS SIZES

In accordance with the school department and school committee targets, and

teacher contractual language:

Class size targets are: maximum of

PreK: <18 students

Kindergarten and Grade 1: <18 students

Grades 2-5: 18 - 20 students

Grades 6-8: 18 students

Grades 9-12: 15-25 students

It must be noted that these target (ranges) are lower than the MSBA guidelines.




2.2 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Northeast Elementary School

Facility Type Elementary School

Year Built 2004

Grade Configuration PreK / 5

Student Enrollment 476

Gross Square Feet 92,170

Administrative Organization

Principal Dr. Nadene Stein

Assistant Principal Robert Marino

Discussion

The school was constructed in 2004 as part of a master plan for updating

Waltham’s elementary and middle schools. Northeast elementary is located in the

northern part of Waltham, the school houses the districts Intensive Resource

Room (IRR) Special Education program as well as being one of two schools to

house the PreK program.

Northeast elementary has 6 PreK classrooms, 5 Kindergarten classrooms, 18

general education classrooms, and 4 classrooms dedicated to the IRR program

(grades K-5). Northeast maintains dedicated rooms for science, drama, and ELL

that are all full sized classrooms in addition to a dedicated computer lab.




Northeast Elementary School – First Floor Program




Northeast Elementary School – Second Floor Program




Site Analysis

This site diagram shows the layout of the existing external spaces including

buildings, parking, green / recreational space, vehicular circulation, activity nodes,

pedestrian entrances, and service entrances. Due to the fire lane, heavily wooded

areas adjacent to the building, and site circulation, additions of modular

classroom on site do not have the potential to be connected to the building.

Site Plan: Northeast Elementary School




Whittemore Elementary School


Year Built 1927, Add/Reno 2008

Grade Configuration K-5




Principal Ross Mulkerin

Assistant Principal Stephen Duffy

Discussion

The school was constructed in 1927 and renovated with additions in 2008 as part

of a master plan for updating Waltham’s elementary and middle schools.

Whittemore Elementary is located in the central part of Waltham, the school

houses several SEI classrooms.

Whittemore elementary has, 4 Kindergarten classrooms, a Kindergarten ELL pull-

out classroom, 15 general education classrooms, and 4 SEI classrooms (grades 1-

5). Whittemore also still has a dedicated computer lab in the building. Due to the

ELL demands in this neighborhood district, the Language Based Resource Room

Special Education program is in process or moving in its entirety to Fitzgerald

Elementary which will allow for an additional classroom in the 2014-2015 school

year.




Whittemore Elementary School – First Floor Program




Whittemore Elementary School – Second Floor Program




Whittemore Elementary School – Third Floor Program




MacArthur Elementary School


Year Built 2006





Principal Jane Gately

Assistant Principal Seeley Okie

Discussion

MacArthur was constructed in 2006 as part of a master plan for updating

Waltham’s elementary and middle schools. MacArthur elementary is located in the

northern part of Waltham, the school houses the districts Resource Room (RR)

Special Education program.

MacArthur elementary has 4 Kindergarten classrooms, 15 general education

classrooms, and 5 classrooms dedicated to the RR program (grades 1-5).

MacArthur also still has a dedicated science classroom, math lab, drama room,

ELL support, and an unused classroom that are all full sized classrooms in

addition to a dedicated computer lab.




MacArthur Elementary School – First Floor Program




MacArthur Elementary School – Second Floor Program




Site Analysis

This diagram shows the layout of the existing external spaces including buildings,

parking, green/recreational space, vehicular circulation, activity nodes, pedestrian

entrances, and service entrances. To the west of the building, there are wetlands

with setbacks that limit construction on that side of the building. Modulars could

be placed to the south of the existing building attaching either to the building near

the gymnasium, or the classroom wing to accommodate additional growth.

Site Plan: MacArthur Elementary School




Fitzgerald Elementary School


Year Built 2008





Principal (FY 2013-2014) David Castellini

Principal (current) Jennifer Santillo

Assistant Principal Kevin Kmiec

Discussion


Waltham’s elementary and middle schools. Fitzgerald elementary is located in the

eastern and central part of Waltham, the school and houses the districts

Language-Based Resource Room (LBRR) Special Education program as well as

being one of two schools to house the PreK program.

Fitzgerald elementary has 5 Kindergarten classrooms, 20 general education

classrooms, 3 SEI Classrooms, and 2 classrooms dedicated to the LBRR program

(grades 3-5). Fitzgerald also has a dedicated computer lab.




Fitzgerald Elementary School – First Floor Program




Fitzgerald Elementary School – Second Floor Program




Fitzgerald Elementary School – Third Floor Program




Site Analysis


parking, green / recreational space, vehicular circulation, activity nodes,

pedestrian entrances, and service entrances. The site is very constraining and

provides little space for attachment. The only place that modulars could be added

is to the south of the building adjacent to the existing loading dock. Steep grade

changes would also make this attachment challenging.

Site Plan: Fitzgerald Elementary School




Stanley Elementary School


Year Built 2003

Grade Configuration PreK-5




Principal Jennifer Hacker

Assistant Principal Stephen Kanode

Discussion


Waltham’s elementary and middle schools. Stanley Elementary is located in the

southern part of Waltham, the school houses the districts Teaching Academic and

Social Curriculum (TASC, formerly PDD) Special Education program as well as

being one of two schools to house the PreK program.

Stanley Elementary has 4 PreK classrooms, 5 Kindergarten classrooms, 17

general education classrooms, and 7 classrooms dedicated to the TASC program

(grades K-5). Stanley also has 2 dedicated classrooms for ELL, and one for SEI

instruction that are all full sized classrooms in addition to a dedicated computer

lab.




Stanley Elementary School – First Floor Program




Stanley Elementary School – Second Floor Program




Stanley Elementary School – Third Floor Program




Site Analysis


parking, green / recreational space, vehicular circulation, activity nodes,

pedestrian entrances, and service entrances.

Site Plan: Stanley Elementary School




Plympton Elementary School


Year Built 2003

Grade Configuration PreK-5




Principal Maureen Taddeo

Assistant Principal Alexander Audette




Plympton Elementary School – First Floor Program




Plympton Elementary School – Second Floor Programming




Plympton Elementary School – Third Floor Programming




Site Analysis


parking, green/recreational space, vehicular circulation, activity nodes, pedestrian

entrances, and service entrances.

Site Plan: Plympton Elementary School




2.3 MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Waltham is served by two independent middle schools that are roughly equal in

size.

The traditional organization of middle schools are Team centric set up around the

core subjects of English Language Arts, Social Studies, Math and Science. Four

teachers, each with a dedicated classroom, would make up each team. In an ideal

world, the classrooms would be clustered and adjacent to project areas and

SPED classrooms/support.

McDevitt Middle School was originally designed to be Waltham’s high school

before the new high school was built in 1969. McDevitt has a reasonable physical

team organization plan thoughtfully renovating the existing historic building with

new additions for gymnasium and cafeteria. Kennedy Middle School was

designed as a junior high school that had a departmental organization rather than

a team organization. The building addition in the early 2000's largely maintained

the double loaded corridor/departmental organization due to the existing building

configurations and site limitations.

To the extent possible, the Kennedy School has organized the classrooms by

teams by grade, typically with science class/labs remote from the team. The team

teaching model with dedicated core specific classrooms is a preferred

pedagogical model but is somewhat less efficient in its classroom utilization

metric, not uncommon in the modern middle school.




McDevitt Middle School

Facility Type Middle School

Year Built 1902, Renovated 2003

Grade Configuration 6-8




Principal Elizabeth Gavin

Assistant Principals William Hart

Meghan Branco

McDevitt Middle School is organized with three teams for each grade level of

grades 6, 7 and 8 = 9 teams. Each team consists of approximately 95 - 100

students, slightly larger than an ideal size of 72 students per team or the school

committee target of 18 students per class.

Included in the school are the following:

24 total General Education classrooms and 6 Science classrooms serve 6

teams (2 teams/grade).

2 dedicated Computer labs

1 dedicated Drama classroom

SPED classrooms including those that serve Learning Center, TASC, LBRR,

and Resource.

2 Technology (Computers and Shop) Classrooms located at the garden level

According to the MSBA Summary of Spaces form, a population of 556

students would require 19 Classrooms that are 950 SF in a MSBA new

construction project. (Also assumed 23 students per class.)

Additional students would put demand and burden on the relatively small

shared central spaces (gymnasium, cafeteria, kitchen, administration, and

nurse) which limit the school’s potential for growth/additions.




McDevitt Middle School – Garden Level Floor Program




McDevitt Middle School – First Floor Program




McDevitt Middle School – Second Floor Program




McDevitt Middle School – Third Floor Programming




Site Analysis

This following diagram shows the layout of the existing external spaces including



Site Plan: McDevitt Middle School




Kennedy Middle School

Facility Type Middle School

Year Built 2006




Net Educational Square Feet


Principal John Cawley

Assistant Principals Kevin Gildea

Laura Smith

Kennedy Middle School is organized with two teams for each grade level of

grades 6, 7 and 8 = 6 teams. Each team consists of approximately 95 - 100

students, slightly larger than an ideal size of 72 students per team at 18 students

per class.

Included in the school are the following:

28 total General Education classrooms and 6 Science Labs serve 6 teams (2

teams/grade).

2 Dedicated Computer labs

1 Dedicated Drama classroom

3 Dedicated ELL Classrooms

According to the MSBA Summary of Spaces form, a population of 540

students would require 20 Classrooms that are 950 SF in a MSBA new

construction project. (Also assumed 23 students per class.)

Large shared central spaces (field house, cafeteria, and auditorium) provide

potential for growth/additions.




Kennedy Middle School – First Floor Program




Kennedy Middle School – Second Floor Program




Site Analysis


buildings, parking, green/recreational space, vehicular circulation, activity nodes,


Site Plan: Kennedy Middle School




2.4 HIGH SCHOOL

Waltham High School

Facility Type High School

Year Built 1969




Net Educational Square Feet


Principal Gregory DeMeo

Discussion

Both the quantity and quality of spaces will be addressed in a comprehensive

feasibility study. For the most part it is the quantity of spaces that address the

question of capacity.

1. The quantity of spaces that contribute to the determination of capacity- are

there enough classrooms and other teaching spaces to serve the current

population; also 5 years from now and 10 years from now?

2. Quality of spaces - most of the classrooms, SPED rooms, science lecture /

labs and other teaching spaces across the school are undersized when

compared to the MSBA space guidelines for new construction.

Determination of "capacity" in high schools involves a large number of variables.

Those variables taken by themselves can result in differing capacities, therefore

we are identifying a range of capacity.

General Education Classrooms:

There are 61 current classrooms. Although many of these fall below the MSBA

standards for classrooms for a new building, they are not significantly undersized.

In addition, for a building serving the future population of 1853 students, a new

building as part of an MSBA project would only include 63 classrooms.




Science Lecture/Labs:

There are currently 16 science classrooms that are significantly undersized and do

not meet the goals for current educational delivery. The projected enrollment of

1852 students would support only 16 science labs in a new MSBA project.

Although there are currently the correct amount of spaces, the quality and size is

inadequate.

CTE/Chapter 74 Programs/Vocations:

There are currently many Chapter 734 program offerings at Waltham High School

however many of the spaces are in need of upgrades and larger spaces.

Additionally, the School Committee has expressed an interest to expand CH 74

program offerings including culinary arts and cosmetology among others.

Core Spaces:

Student Dining: The area designated for student dining is relatively large, and

will easily support an increased population of 1853 students.

Library/Media Center: The existing space is 50% under the MSBA guidelines

for an increased population of 1853 students. Although this is an important

space in support of teaching and learning, it does not contribute to the

capacity discussion.




Waltham High School – Basement Floor Program




Waltham High School – First Floor Program




Waltham High School – Second Floor Program




Waltham High School – Third Floor Program




Site Analysis




Site Plan: Waltham High School




2.5 DECOMMISSIONED BUILDINGS

As a part of the capacity study, SMMA visited 2 additional school properties in the

district, the Lawrence School and the Fitch School.

Lawrence School

Approximate GSF = 13,000

Currently 7 classrooms approx. 650-750 NSF (total of 4,775 NSF)

Currently 6 small group/office spaces approx. 125-355 NSF (total of 1,525

NSF)

Challenges:

o All classroom type spaces are small, as shown on the plan below - None

of the rooms are the appropriate size for PreK (1,200 NSF typical)

o Currently classroom size and quantity can only accommodate 72 of the

current 193 Pre K students in District

o None of the rooms contain toilets, this would need further discussion with

educators. PreK rooms typically contain a privacy toilet room within the

classroom.

o Because of small classrooms sizes it would require additional teachers in

the District

o Any addition will require accommodation of the steep slope behind

school (total site is 3.7 acres)

o Central Administration currently uses 6,600 NSF, the building would

require moderate renovations to meet the needs of the Central Office

o Requires relocation of the Facilities Department who currently use the

building for storage




First Floor Plan

Second Floor Plan




Third Floor Plan




Fitch School

Approximately GSF 40,500

Currently 19 classrooms approx. 600-910 NSF (total of 15,024 NSF) –

could accommodate up to 227 PreK students (currently 193 in District)

Miscellaneous Offices, Library, Gym, Cafeteria

Challenges:

o Building has been sitting vacant for many years

o None of the rooms are the appropriate size for PreK (1,200 NSF

typical)

o None of the rooms contain toilets, this would need further discussion

with educators

o Because of small classrooms sizes it would require additional

teachers +5

o Limited parking (+/- 20 parking spaces) available on site.

First Floor Plan

Second Floor Plan




2.6 CAPACITY ANALYSIS

Based on the information that SMMA attained as indicated above by school,

capacities were able to be determined. In the chart shown below, the number

of available classrooms for general education as currently used and varying

quantities of students determines the capacities as shown.

Current Available Classrooms

Current

Average

Capacity

Capacity without

PreK Classrooms

Capacity with

PreK

Classrooms

2014 -

2015 E

nro

llments

(9/1

7/1

4)

# o

f P

reK

Cla

ssro

om

s

# o

f K

ind

erg

art

en

Cla

ssro

om

s

# o

f G

en E

d C

lassro

om

s

(1 -

5) #

of G

en E

d, p

lus

Art

, S

cie

nce a

nd

Vo

c (6

-12)

To

tal C

lassro

om

s

(K +

Gra

de L

evel)*

Curr

ent A

vera

ge C

ap

acity

Cap

acity @

15/C

lass f

or

Pre

K,

18 s

tud

ents

per

cla

ss

Cap

acity @

18 s

tud

ents

per

cla

ss K

, 23 G

rad

es 1

-12

Curr

ent

Cap

acity @

18

stu

dents

per

cla

ss

Curr

ent

Cap

acity @

18

stu

dents

per

cla

ss K

, 23

Gra

des 1

-12

PreK 171 12

14 180

Northeast ES 368 8 4 16 20 18 360 440 504 624

Whittemore ES 435 0 5 21 26 17 468 573 468 573

MacArthur ES 372 0 4 16 20 19 360 440 360 440

Fitzgerald ES 513 0 5 23 28 18 504 619 504 619

Stanley ES 454 4 5 19 24 19 432 527 504 619

Plympton ES 439 0 5 19 24 18 432 527 432 527

ES Total (K-5) 2581 12 28 114 142 18 2556 3126 2772 3402

McDevitt MD 556 0 0 34

520 665

Kennedy MD 540 0 0 39

597 762

MS Total 1096 0 0 73

1117 1427

Waltham HS 1453 0 0 92

1408 1799

*Classroom counts exclude dedicated ELL and SPED classrooms and specialized classrooms

(Band, Chorus, Chapter 74 spaces)

Middle School Note: 85% utilization factor applied. Does not consider team teaching

High School note: 85% utilization factor applied. Chapter 74 Spaces not included

Section 3 DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAMS



3 | DESCRIPTION


DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAMS

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

SMMA met with the directors of the district’s special programs to learn about their

current space utilization, current space needs, and projected growth by individual

schools and throughout the district.

3.1 PRE-KINDERGARTEN

Northeast and Stanley Elementary Schools house the district’s PreK program. The

district program is designed to be an inclusive Special Education program. One

portion of the program is the integrated classrooms which combines Special

Education students with typically developing peers. For more information on space

utilization, see Section 2 of this report.

3.2 SPECIAL EDUCATION (SPED)

Each Waltham elementary school (with the exception of Whittemore) houses one of

the Special Education district-wide programs. A listing and description of all district-

wide Special Education programs is included as Appendix XXX. Additionally, each

school houses a Special Education Resource Room. Kennedy Middle School

houses the self-management and CORE programs. McDevitt Middle School houses

the LBRR and TASC programs. Both middle schools have learning centers and

resource rooms. The ABLE program, CORE and resource rooms are at Waltham

High School.

Elementary Schools

Schools Grades Total

Population

SPED

Population

% SPED

Population Special Education Programs

Northeast ES PreK - 5 367 123 25.6%

− Intensive Resource Rooms (IRR)

− Coaches Corner (Literacy and Math

Coaches)

− PK Speech, Reading

− Community walk-ins

− Learning Center

− Preschool (7 rooms), K Inclusion,

Speech, OT, PT

Whittemore ES K - 5 438 55 10.6%

− K Inclusion

− Reading

− Speech and Language

− District Reading office

− OT/PT

− Math and Challenge Coach

− Title 1

3 | DESCRIPTION


Elementary Schools

Schools Grades Total

Population

SPED

Population

% SPED

Population Special Education Programs

MacArthur ES K - 5 355 58 16.3%

− Resource Rooms (RR) for Special

Education

− Learning Center

− Math Lab

− Reading

− OT/PT

− Challenge

− Speech

− K Inclusion

Fitzgerald ES K - 5 483 71 14.7%

− Language Based Resource Rooms

(LBRR) for Special Education

− K Inclusion

− Learning Center

− Reading

− Speech and language

− OT/PT

− Math Coach

− Literature specialist

− Challenge

Stanley ES PreK - 5 428 119 27.8%

− TASC (K-5, 5 rooms)

− Preschool (4 rooms)

− K Inclusion

− Learning Center

− Reading

− OT/PT

− Speech

Plympton ES K - 5 443 63 14.2%

− Successful Start (with Quiet Room)

K-5 (3 rooms)

− K Inclusion

− Resource Room (RR) (4 grades, 2

rooms)

− Speech/Literacy

− Reading

− OT/PT

* Excludes PreK

Enrollments as of 4/30/14

3.3 ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS (ELL)

Each Waltham school provides services for English Language Learners (ELL). When

a student enters the district, they are tested in the Parent Information Center (PIC)

located at the high school to determine their level of need and English competency.

Depending on the results of the proficiency exam, students can be placed in

Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) classrooms, or receive ELL pull-out services. ELL

pull-out spaces typically must provide enough space for 8-10 students to be

working together at the same time. Often, this service can be provided in a half-

sized classroom.

Included as an appendix are plans from each of the schools highlighting the current

use for ELL dedicated spaces.

3 | DESCRIPTION


Building Number of

English Learners ESL Program

Northeast ES 48 (1) ELL pull-out classroom

Whittemore ES 202 (4) ELL Self-Contained Classrooms, (1) Small ELL

pull-out area, (1)Kindergarten pull-out classroom, (1) ELL pull-out classroom

McArthur ES 43 (1) ELL pull-out classroom

Fitzgerald ES 70 (3) ELL Self-Contained Classrooms (one of which

is a very small instructional area for 3rd graders), (1) ELL pull-out area in the back of the library

(very small).

Stanley ES 105 (1) ELL Self-Contained Classroom, (2) ELL pull-out classrooms

Plympton ES 104 (2) ELL Self-Contained Classrooms, (1) ELL pull-out classroom (shared with other teachers)

McDevitt MS 4 No ELL program

Kennedy MS 67 (3) ELL Self-Contained Classrooms, (1) ELL pull-out classroom

Waltham HS 110 (6) ELL Self-Contained Classrooms (include ELL classes and sheltered, self-contained history,

math and science classes) / Parent Information

Center (PIC) is housed here.

3.4 DRAMA

In the elementary schools, Waltham has a commitment to offering drama education

for all students K-12. At Northeast and MacArthur elementary schools, both middle

schools, and the high school, dedicated classrooms are available for instruction. In

schools that have had to reclaim these rooms, instruction occurs on the stage.

3.5 ELEMENTARY SCIENCE

Waltham offers science instruction in a dedicated classroom at Northeast and

MacArthur elementary schools. Although this is not a typical elementary school

dedicated space, it is supported greatly by the community. In the schools that have

had to reclaim these rooms, science is provided from a cart that is wheeled into K-5

classrooms.

3 | DESCRIPTION


3.6 CHAPTER 74

Waltham High School is home to a developed Career and Technical Education

program (CTE). Many of the programs are Chapter 74 certificate programs.

Chapter 74 programs are not part of a typical MSBA standard high school project

however they are very important in the development of a comprehensive high school

program. The future of the CTE program may include additional programs that not

currently exist at Waltham High School but offered at Minuteman Regional

Vocational Technical School. Currently, 60 students attend MRVTS which is an

expense and disruptive loss of resources for the district.

Current programs available:

Automotive Technology - Chapter 74

Business (Non-74)

Carpentry & Cabinetmaking - Chapter 74

Career Exploratory - Chapter 74

Child Care - Chapter 74

Collision Technology - Chapter 74

Culinary Arts (Non-74)

Electrical - Chapter 74

Electronics - Chapter 74

Family & Consumer Science (Non-74)

Graphic Arts (Non-74)

Graphic Communications - Chapter 74

Metal Fabrication - Chapter 74

Technical Education (Non-74)

TV Broadcasting - Chapter 74

Y.T.E. (Non-74)

Potential future programs:

Culinary Arts – Chapter 74

Cosmetology

Plumbing

Daycare

http://www.walthampublicschools.org/WHS/autotech.cfm

http://www.walthampublicschools.org/WHS/business.cfm

http://www.walthampublicschools.org/WHS/carpentry.cfm

http://www.walthampublicschools.org/WHS/careerexploratory.cfm

http://www.walthampublicschools.org/WHS/childcare.cfm

http://www.walthampublicschools.org/WHS/autobody.cfm

http://www.walthampublicschools.org/WHS/electrical.cfm

http://www.walthampublicschools.org/WHS/electronics.cfm

http://www.walthampublicschools.org/WHS/fcs.cfm

http://www.walthampublicschools.org/WHS/graphicarts.cfm

http://www.walthampublicschools.org/WHS/metalfab.cfm

http://www.walthampublicschools.org/WHS/tv.cfm

Section 4 ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS





ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS

INTRODUCTION

SMMA reviewed the 2013-2014 enrollment projections which were provided in the

Educational Consultant RFQ (Included as Appendix XXX). NESDEC found in their

report that the two largest contributing factors to enrollment growth are the number

of births to Waltham resident and the in-migration to the district. They determined

that the primary reason that Waltham Public Schools is seeing an overall enrollment

increase is due to larger populations if Kindergarteners replacing smaller graduating

classes.

In addition, SMMA engaged Future Think to verify the results found in the NESDEC

projections report. Future Think also provided their own enrollment projections

based on the cohort survival model which analyzed the following data: births,

historical enrollment and survival rations, community demographics, and housing

information. The data from their projects was within 1% of the values found in the

NESDEC report. Full report included as Appendix XXX).

A factor that must be reviewed in the enrollment discussion is the withdrawal figures.

The district provided a chart to SMMA indicating that 215 students left the Waltham

Public Schools choosing to attend other districts in state, out of state and to private

parochial schools. What is important to note is that the enrollment is increasing

despite these individuals leaving the district indicating that in-migration is still larger

than out-migration in Waltham.

Schools *Current

Enrollment

2018 - 2019

(5 years)

2023 - 2024

(10 years)

Delta from Current

Enrollment to 2024

10 Years %

Change

Northeast ES 367

Whittemore ES 441

MacArthur ES 367

Fitzgerald ES 483

Stanley ES 427

Plympton ES 451

Total ES 2536 2,831 2,825 311 +12%

McDevitt MS 531

Kennedy MS 551

Total MS 1,082/1,200 1,273 1,396 314 + 29%

+/-120 +/-75 +314

+/-125

above 5 year

NOTE: Total for Each M.S. Grade Level ~460 Students.

Waltham HS 1,397 1,514 1,853 456 + 33%

+117 +339



Actual WPS Numbers

Actual Actual

Actual v's

Actual

Actual Actual

Actual 4/30/14

v's Actual

9/12/14

2013-

2014

2013-

2014

#

Delta % Delta

2014-

2015

2014-

2015

#

Delta % Delta

2015-

2016

#

Delta

%

Delta

9/27/13

(2)

4/30/14

(2)

9/12/14

(2)

4/30/15

(2)

Pre-K 153 193 40 20.73%

171

-22 -12.87%

Northeast ES 367 367 0 0.00%

370

3 0.81%

Whittemore ES 441 438 -3 -0.68%

433

-5 -1.15%

MacArthur ES 367 355 -12 -3.38%

371

16 4.31%

Fitzgerald ES 483 483 0 0.00%

516

33 6.40%

Stanley ES 427 428 1 0.23%

449

21 4.68%

Plympton ES 451 443 -8 -1.81%

439

-4 -0.91%

2536 2514 -22 -0.88%

2578

64 2.48%

? ?

McDevitt MS 535 531 -4 -0.75%

556

25 4.50%

Kennedy MS 546 551 5 0.91%

540

-11 -2.04%

1081 1082 1 0.09%

1096

14 1.28%

? ?

High School 1397 1397 0 0.00%

1453

56 3.85%

? ?

Total students 5167 5186 19 0.37%

5298

112 2.11%

? ?



Projected NESDEC numbers Versus WPS actual

Projecte

d Actual

Proj. v's

Actual Projected Actual

Proj. v's

Actual

Projected

Proj V's Actual

2014-2015

2013-

2014

2013-

2014

#

Delta

%

Delta

2014-2015

2014-

2015

#

Delta

%

Delta

2015-2016 # Delta % Delta

10/01/13

(1)

9/27/13

(2)

10/01/14

(1)(3)

9/12/14

(2)

10/01/15

(1)(3)

Pre-K 156 153 -3

-

1.96

%

158 171 13

7.60

%

160 -11 1.25%

Northeast

ES 371 367 -4

-

1.09

%

386 370 -16

-

4.33

%

395 25 2.18%

Whittemore

ES 443 441 -2

-

0.37

%

461 433 -28

-

6.37

%

471 38 2.18%

MacArthur

ES 359 367 8

2.24

%

373 371 -2

-

0.63

%

382 11 2.18%

Fitzgerald

ES 488 483 -5

-

1.06

%

508 516 8

1.57

%

519 3 2.18%

Stanley ES 432 427 -5

-

1.28

%

450 449 -1

-

0.22

%

460 11 2.18%

Plympton

ES 448 451 3

0.73

%

466 439 -27

-

6.12

%

476 37 2.18%

2541 2536 -5

-

0.20

%

2644 2578 -66

-

2.56

%

2703 125 2.18%

McDevitt

MS 529 535 6

1.20

%

538 556 18

3.16

%

561 5 4.11%

Kennedy

MS 548 551 3

0.47

%

559 540 -19

-

3.44

%

583 43 4.11%

1077 1086 9

0.83

%

1097 1096 -1

-

0.09

%

1144 48 4.11%

High

School 1389 1397 8

0.57

%

1393 1453 60

4.13

%

1424 -29 2.18%

Total

students 5163 5172 9

0.17

%

5292 5298 6

0.11

%

5431 133 2.56%

(1) Values based on Enrollment projections from NESDEC

(2) Values provided by Waltham Public Schools

(3) NESDEC Values extrapolated per school based upon current % of distribution



Withdrawal Figures as of 9/11/2014 (sorted by school/grade)

School Grade Moved In

State

Moved Out of

State/Country

Private

School

Home

School

Dropped

Out

TOTALS

HS 9-12+ 15 12 14 0 2 43

McDevitt MS 6-8' 7 3 6 16

Kennedy MS 6-8' 20 5 6 31

Fitzgerald ES K-5 14 8 1 23

MacArthur ES K-5 18 3 3 24

Northeast ES PK-5 8 6 2 16

Plympton ES K-5 15 7 1 23

Stanley ES PK-5 18 5 1 24

Whittemore ES K-5 9 5 1 15

TOTALS 124 54 33 2 2 215

Section 5 RECOMMENDATIONS AND OPTIONS



5 | OPTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS


OPTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

INTRODUCTION

As a part of the capacity analysis development, SMMA acquired feedback from the

community, focus groups, the school committee, and educators regarding the future

of programs, approach to curriculum, and enrollment concerns.

5.1 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

The study found with the projected enrollment increase of 311 students, 15-17

additional classrooms would be required throughout the district. This quantity is

large enough to indicate a new building, a large scale renovation of a

decommissioned building, or reclaiming rooms from each of the 6 elementary

schools. Some of the strategies that were targeted include:

Move adults before you move students – Creating more effective shared teacher

spaces

Implement inclusion strategies for special programs including SPED and ELL.

Explore switching program locations in most overcrowded schools

Creating break-out spaces in corridors for small group instruction, challenge,

etc.

Subdividing classrooms from full size to half size to accommodate programs

that have smaller populations. Creating appropriately sized small group rooms.

More precisely, SMMA indicated the following strategies could be implemented

immediately in the elementary schools:

Increase class size by 3 students per class above the established goals.

o Current average class size: 18.9 students

o Add 3: 21.9 students

o MSBA standard: 23 students

Move drama to the stage. This strategy could reclaim 2 classrooms in the

schools that still have a dedicated classroom.

Move science to a cart. This strategy could reclaim 2 classrooms in the schools

that still have a dedicated classroom.

Subdivide full size classrooms to serve small populations as indicated above.

Some of the challenges which were identified for any solution are listed below:

Redistricting will be a major component to all solutions.

Cost of renovations - with or without the MSBA.

Costs of a comprehensive renovation or replacement of the High School, with or

without the MSBA.

Laptop carts will cost approximately $40,000 each

(As an example to provide one in each Elementary School = $240,000)



At the Middle Schools, creating a 5 subject cluster would affect scheduling and

staffing.

SPED program shifts will impact students with certain needs significantly.

Potential relocation of any SPED program will require close coordination with

educators.

Reclaiming Rooms

One of the concepts discussed in an effort to provide for increased enrollments was

reclaiming existing classrooms that currently exist within the district schools.

One option is to reclaim the drama and science rooms. At MacArthur and Northeast

elementary schools, there are still dedicated classrooms for drama and science

instruction. In the other four elementary schools, these rooms have already been

reclaimed in order to provide for current enrollment capacity. Reclaiming these

rooms would require redistricting to be implemented. On the other hand, should

there be a desire for educational equity, the four elementary schools that do not

have drama classrooms would need to reclaim these for dedicated use which puts

additional burden on those four schools.

Additionally, MacArthur has an unused classroom that is currently being used as

storage. This classrooms should be reclaimed as a general education classroom.

Redistricting will be required should this strategy by employed.

In many of the schools, small group instructional spaces are required to meet the

needs of 21st century education. Some of these small groups occupy full size

classrooms because smaller spaces do not exist in the schools currently. By

creating some half size classrooms for these small groups, full-size classrooms

could be recaptured for general education classrooms. An example of this

implementation is shown below.



RECLAIMED CLASSROOM STRATEGIES

Northeast Elementary School – 2nd Floor Reclaimed Classroom Strategic Options



Whittemore Elementary School – 1st Floor Reclaimed Classroom Strategic Options



Whittemore Elementary School – 3rd Floor Reclaimed Classroom Strategic Options



MacArthur Elementary School - 1st Floor Reclaimed Classroom Strategic Option



MacArthur Elementary School – 2nd Floor Reclaimed Classroom Strategic Options



Fitzgerald Elementary School – 1st Floor Reclaimed Classroom Strategic Option

Fitzgerald Elementary School – 2nd Floor Reclaimed Classroom Strategic Option



Fitzgerald Elementary School – 3rd Floor Reclaimed Classroom Strategic Option



Stanley Elementary School – 2nd Floor Reclaimed Classroom Strategic Option



Plympton Elementary School – 2nd Floor Reclaimed Classroom Strategic Option



Plympton Elementary School – 3rd Floor Reclaimed Classroom Strategic Option



Existing Classroom Example

Proposed Classroom Sub-division



Reclaimed Classroom Opportunities

Quantity Size of

Classroom

Classroom Location

Reclaiming

Classrooms

Drama 2 1.0 Northeast, MacArthur

Science 2 1.0 Northeast, MacArthur

Other 3 1.0 LBRR to Fitzgerald (Gain = 0), Empty

Classroom at MacArthur, Math Lab at

MacArthur, Large Corridor at MacArthur

2 .5 District Reading Office at Whittemore,

Drama Office at Whittemore

Sub-Dividing

Classrooms

Northeast ES 1 .5

Whittemore ES 1 .5

MacArthur ES 2 1.0

2 .5

Fitzgerald ES 1 .5

Plympton ES 2 .5

1 1.0

Total Reclaimed

Classrooms

10 Full Size

Classrooms

9 Half Size

Classrooms

Modular Classrooms

SMMA evaluated the addition of portable classroom buildings to the elementary

schools and middle schools to provide the capacity for additional students. The

chart included below provides some estimated costs for modular construction on

the sites with available space. Also included below are plans showing locations of

potential modulars at elementary schools.



Modular Classrooms and Cost Impacts by School

# of Modulars

Possible

Per site cost for 3 yr

lease

Per site cost for

Permanent

Northeast ES 4 $661,440.00 $1,728,000.00

Stanley ES 6 $864,480.00 $2,376,000.00

MacArthur ES 8 $1,087,520.00 $3,024,000.00

McDevitt MS 6 $776,800.00 $2,160,000.00

Kennedy MS 6 $776,800.00 $2,160,000.00

*Costs include foundations and utilities

MacArthur Elementary School – 4 to 6 Portables Possible (Modulars)



Fitzgerald Elementary School – 3 Portables Possible (Modulars)



Stanley Elementary School – 4 to 5 Portables Possible in 2 Locations (Modulars)

SUMMARY

0-1 Year =

• Design / Acquire / Install Portable Classrooms as needed

• Design and Bid interior renovations to: subdivide classrooms; reclaim certain

rooms; create learning environments in corridors, etc.

• Explore location for Early Childhood Center – schedule will determine need /

schedule for additional portables

• Determine best locations for SPED programs

• Review needs for Drama, Challenge, etc.



5.2 MIDDLE SCHOOL

SMMA developed a list of options and strategies that could be implemented in

phases to address the additional student capacity at the middle schools.

Short-Term Strategies

Acoustically “fix” McDevitt classroom(s) behind stage and move the music

room back into this location – gains one or two rooms.

Divide full sized SPED class rooms at Kennedy to accommodate additional

growth (See Reclaimed Classrooms above for description).

Increase class sizes to maximum 25 students per room:

o Kennedy School:

Currently: ±93 students - increase to 100 students at 25/CR; adds a

total of 49 students

o McDevitt School:

Currently: ±89 students - increase to 100 students

Midterm (5 Year) Strategies

Kennedy School:

Increase by 70 students equals 12 students per cluster

Use foreign language rooms/schedule to increase team size (22

students/CR).

Add one additional cluster.

Modular classrooms (Refer to images above)

McDevitt School:

Modular classrooms (Refer to images above)

Long-Term (10 Year) Strategies

Kennedy School:

Add cluster/new science lab

1st floor north wing – permanent construction

Addition at courtyard corridor (see diagram below).

Increase by 25 students at 25/CR distributed between each cluster.

If foreign language or fifth subject is added to each cluster class size will be

21/CR.

McDevitt School:

No Change

These changes will result in a 60/40 split between populations at Kennedy than

McDevitt



MSBA Funded Projects

Waltham may opt to complete any selected work on their own without the help of

the MSBA however it is of note that there are additional challenges with any project

that works with the MSBA in renovations/additions to existing buildings. Some of

the challenges particular to the middle schools are indicated below.

No dedicated auditorium in middle school

No dedicated drama classroom in middle schools

ELL classrooms not a defined use per MSBA

23 students / class – Grades 1 – 12

Chapter 74 Program requirements requires DESE approval and definition

not defined in MSBA standard space summary

85% utilization rate for classrooms

Typically 8% student population standard for SPED space – will require

significant DESE involvement to indicate that with a larger SPED population,

more spaces are required.

Options

Review ELL “Team”/Cluster Options at Kennedy School

o Create a floating team (or half team); loss of specialist space

Modular classroom “cluster” at McDevitt

Create a small “magnate or District Charter” School

Move 8th grade out of Middle School – to High School or other available

site

o From Kennedy = 200 students

o From Kennedy and McDevitt = 400 students

Modular Classrooms

o SMMA evaluated the addition of portable classroom buildings to

middle schools to provide the capacity for additional students.

o The chart included above provides some estimated costs for

modular construction on the sites with available space.

o Also included below are plans showing locations of potential

modulars at elementary schools.



John F. Kennedy Middle School – 6 Portables Possible (Modulars)



John F. Kennedy Middle School – 1st Floor Plan Option

John F. Kennedy Middle School – 2nd Floor Plan Option



John W. McDevitt Middle School – 1st Floor Plan Option

John W. McDevitt Middle School – Garden Level Plan Option



John W. McDevitt Middle School – 2nd Floor Plan Option

John W. McDevitt Middle School – 3rd Floor Plan Option



John F. Kennedy Middle School – Long Term Option, Permanent Addition

SUMMARY

• 0-2 Years = Additional capacity required; ±120 students across both schools.

Increase class size to 25 students per class. Design / Acquire / Install Portable

Classrooms as needed

• 3 Years = McDevitt will be at maximum capacity, Need to start addition at

Kennedy

• 5+ Years = 70 additional students; 0 capacity at McDevitt; 70 at Kennedy

• 10 Years = 125 additional students total (TBD)



5.3 HIGH SCHOOL

MSBA PROCESS

Waltham has submitted an SOI to the MSBA regarding a comprehensive project for

Waltham High School. Although any feedback will not be available until January

2015, the process that will begin should Waltham be invited into the program are

indicated below.

Statement of interest submitted

Invitation to participate (October/November 2014)

o City Prepares Application (6 months)

Acceptance into Feasibility Study (Schematic Design)

o 10+12 months determining new or renovation

MSBA Approval

o Local Approvals and Votes

Design Phase(s) (Design Development of Contract Documents)

o Determine CM or Design/Bid/Build Process Permitting

Bidding

Contraction – 2½ to 4½ years

MSBA Challenges

In addition to the amount of time investment in the MSBA process, there are also

challenges for any project between what a new MSBA project invests in compared

to the existing building structure.

GSF today: 383,386

Gross sf @ 1397 students: 238,887*



Below are images that SMMA developed which indicate the portions of the High

School that are 25% or more undersized (shown in red) those that are undersized

(shown in orange) and those that are oversized (indicated in green). It is evident in

these drawings that the classrooms spaces are the most significantly undersized

while the central shared spaces in the building including the gym, cafeteria, and

music spaces are larger than what would be typically permitted in a new MSBA

funded project.



MSBA Space Comparison Plans

In addition to spaces that vary in size, many of Waltham High School’s existing

spaces are outside of what would be included in an MSBA project. Indicated in blue

are district spaces including the district’s print shop, central administration, Parent

information center, and many others. The green spaces show curriculum and

offerings that are not part of the typical MSBA project including the technology and

Chapter 74 programs. Shown in orange are spaces that also would not be included

in a MSBA funded project including lecture halls, non-Chapter 74 programs, grade

level house offices, and scope above what the MSBA accounts for based on

population of students.







Program & Support outside MSBA Scope





Renovation Challenges

The code also presents challenges when renovating an existing building. Shown

below is a breakdown of how the code evaluates renovation projects based on

assessed value of the building. The example shown illustrates how if the science

labs alone were renovated up to current 21st century educational standards that the

value of the renovation would trigger a full ADA and code upgrade to the building

which includes all components of accessibility as well as seismic and energy

upgrades which can become very costly.

Assessed value of Waltham High School: $20,417,900

When 50% of the building area is renovated requires full seismic upgrades.

(Level 3 Renovation Project)

If LESS than 30% of the full and fair cash value of the building ($6,125,370)

AND :

o The work costs LESS than $100,000 then only the work being done

must comply.

o The work costs MORE than $100,000 then all work must comply

and there must be an accessible main entrance, toilet room, and

drinking fountain provided.

If MORE than 30% of the full and fair cash value of the building ($6,125,370)

THEN:

Entire project required to comply with all State codes

o For Example:

12 Science Labs +/-18,480 nsf @ $300/sf = $5.5M

16 science labs (MSBA value based on 2024 estimate of

1853 students)

+/- 23040nsf @ $300/sf = $6.91M

MSBA Requirements for Science Labs

The science labs at Waltham High School have not been renovated since the

building opened in 1969 and are in need of upgrades to provide current technology

and teaching philosophies.

Typical Existing Labs at Waltham High School

1,005 nsf

50(-) sf per student (20 st.)

Plus 125 sf prep room

One exit

16 Labs

Note: -435 net sf Delta or 30% Undersized



A new science lab to meet 21st Century educational standards meets the criteria

indicated below.

1,440 nsf

60 sf per student (24 st.)

Plus 200 sf shared prep room

Two exits

12 Labs (1,397 students)





Significant renovation would be required to bring these existing labs up to the

current teaching and learning standards. Shown below are examples of a typical

MSBA standard science lab and prep area as well as the renovations that may be

required should the science labs at Waltham High School be renovated in place. It

is worth noting that SMMA is not recommending this approach and science labs

location and adjacencies should be evaluated as part of a feasibility study.



MSBA Model Labs



Waltham High School – Second Floor Science Labs

Waltham High School – Third Floor Science Labs



Waltham High School – Existing Science Labs (enlarged plans)

Waltham High School – Renovated Science Labs (enlarged plans)



5.4 FOCUS GROUPS AND COMMUNITY MEETINGS

SMMA conducted meetings with focus groups and the community in order to

determine their feedback regarding the direction of options being developed. The

minutes from these meetings are included as Appendix XXX

Comments and Recommendations

Enrollment becomes “critical” in 4 years

8th Grade to HS Not Preferred

Tours of State-of-Art New High Schools

o Newton North High School

o Quincy High School

o West Springfield/Tewksbury/Franklin (model schools)

o Wellesley High School

Detailed Site analysis and Investigation

o Existing School Site

o Fernald Site

o Others?

Visioning Workshop(s)

Contact MSBA

o SOI Status

During the community groups, many concerns were brought to attention through

question and answer portions of the presentations which were then shared with the

focus groups. These include the following:

Q. Concerns for maintaining Science and Drama specialist classrooms was

discussed. Will these be maintained?

A. There is no assumption for a start date and no recommendations made by the

focus groups as yet. The goal of the study is to provide a comprehensive and

acceptable plan for the school committee’ consideration.

Q. What are the concerns for Kindergarten students in a classroom without a

restroom when all other kindergarten classrooms have a restroom?

Q. Concerns for maintaining small class sizes. Mention was made of the Mayor’s

commitment to smaller class sizes. Will these be maintained?

A. No decisions have been determined yet in our investigation.



Q. What work will be done in September of 2014?

A. There is no assumption for a start date and no recommendations made by the

focus groups as yet. SMMA mentioned that there will likely be short-term, mid-

term, and long-term goals.

Q. Are the middle schools sized to accommodate the larger populations that are

coming in the future?

A. The middle schools are currently not feeling overburdened. The middle schools

have a unique challenge in the cluster teaching and how larger populations will

impact the clusters.

Q. Regarding teaching throughout the day, as a teacher, there is a need for smaller

group activities for all different types of students for pull-out and small group

instruction.

Q. What is the condition of the Fitch School or others that were decommissioned?

Would the district consider re-opening a school to handle the growing

population?

A. The Fitch School has been decommissioned for years bringing it back to service

would require a major renovation project.

The focus groups consisted of the following individuals:

Superintendent of Schools

Elementary School Principals

SPED Director

ELL Director

School Committee Members

Teachers

Options

Confirm area and individual program space requirements relative to MSBA and DOE

Chapter 74 guidelines. Confirm existing building area net and gross square footages.

Increase Utilization rate of classrooms (this would mean no dedicated

teacher classroom).

Relocate Central Administration Offices off site.

o Confirm area and individual program space requirements relative to

MSBA and DOE Chapter 74 guidelines.

Do not recommend adding Chapter 74 Programs to the HS immediately

Resize Chapter 74 spaces for modern technologies and program uses.

Relocate Chapter 74 programs off site:

o In the City

o With Vocational/Technical cooperative model



Construction Project to accommodate population growth & program

requirements (temporary or permanent?).

Renovations

Addition/Renovation

Build new High School:

o At current HS site

o At alternative site in City

5.5 RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE

Based on the feedback received in the community meetings and focus groups,

SMMA developed a list of questions to be evaluated by the School Committee to

provide a greater understanding of the district’s goals and gives direction for the

options developed. This memorandum is included in the report as Appendix XXX.

The questionnaire was also distributed to parents and teachers in the district. It was

available on the website, sent home as a mailer, and translated into several

languages to be sure to get a variety of responses.

The answers, as determined by the school committee, which factored in parent and

teacher feedback, are indicated below.

1. Do you support redistricting at the elementary schools?

Yes, in a limited capacity

2. Do you support increase in class sizes up to the MSBA values?

18 for Pre-K – No

23 for K-5 – No

23 for 6-8 – No

23 for 9-12 – No

3. Do you support the removal of dedicated PC labs at the elementary schools?

Qualified Yes, determine bandwidth for laptop carts.

4. Do you support adding 4 dedicated science classrooms back to those

Elementary School’s (Whittemore, Stanley, Fitzgerald, Plympton) that have

needed to reclaim them for general education classrooms (Would create

science equity throughout)?

Yes

5. Do you support reclaiming 2 Elementary School classrooms that are dedicated

Drama at MacArthur and Northeast (would create drama equity throughout)?

No – they would like a dedicated drama room if there is space.



6. Do you support the creation of a taskforce which would meet with educators to

further understand the implications of relocating or adjusting SPED programs?

The task force would be charged with determining the best inclusion strategies

and locations for the Districts programs for the long-term, which would require

them to be relocated only once to minimize any detrimental effects on their

movement educationally. And to determine the quantity and locations for

creation of half size classrooms and creation of differentiated learning spaces

(for pull-out, challenge, etc.) throughout the ES?

Yes

7. Do you support the relocation of Pre-K as a dedicated early childhood center to

an alternative location?

Yes

If Yes – The District should convene a taskforce to determine the best location

for this program

8. Do you support the addition of modular classrooms at locations that have been

identified to accommodate them (Fitzgerald, MacArthur, and Stanley)?

Fitzgerald – Yes

MacArthur – Yes

Stanley – Yes

9. Do you support beginning Middle School visioning workshops?

Yes

10. Do you support adding a 5th core subject to the Middle School cluster to allow

for clusters to absorb a large population (from est. 100 to est. 125 each)?

Yes

11. Do you support beginning High School visioning workshops which may address

the curriculum as a whole?

Yes

12. Do you support attending tours with staff to comparable comprehensive and

high achieving School's in the area? (could be scheduled Summer 2014)

Yes

13. Do you support moving forward with a feasibility study/site analysis which would

mirror the MSBA process for the High School in advance of any potential MSBA

decision on your SOI in the fall?

Yes

14. Do you support the relocation of central administration out of the High School to

an alternative location?

Yes



15. Do you support conducting a comprehensive feasibility study which would

determine the condition of the physical building and plant and propose options

for re-use including professional cost estimates (Lawrence School and Fitch

School)?

Yes for both

16. Do you support the creation of an alternative high school?

Yes

Based on the decisions that were determined by the school committee which

factored in community and focus group input, SMMA has developed a list of options

for the district.

As mentioned earlier, redistricting is critical in any and all opportunities in the district

because of the overcrowded schools in the southern portion of Waltham and the

available space in the schools in the northern part of town. The committee’s

decision to redistrict in a limited capacity will allow for some relief in the schools that

are seeing the most overcrowding.

5.6 NEXT STEPS

Cost of renovations to the middle and elementary schools- with or without the

MSBA

Costs of a comprehensive renovation or replacement of the High School - with

or without the MSBA.

Laptop carts will cost approx. $40,000 each (As an example to provide 1 in each

Elementary School = $240,000)

At the Middle Schools, creating a 5 subject cluster would affect scheduling and

staffing.

SPED program shifts will impact students with certain needs significantly.

Potential relocation of any SPED program will require close coordination with

educators so that any shifts only occur once.

SUMMARY

Enrollment becomes “critical” in 4 years

0-1 Year =

8th Grade to HS Not Preferred

Tours of State-of-Art New High Schools

o Newton North High School

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o Quincy High School

o West Springfield/Tewksbury/Franklin (model schools)

o Wellesley High School

Detailed Site analysis and Investigation

o Existing School Site

o Fernald Site

o Others?

Visioning Workshop(s)

o Start Dialog Now

Contact MSBA

o SOI Status

Feasibility Study

o Start the process now

1-2 Years = Design and Bid HS Project

3+ Years = Begin Construction project (Add/Reno or New)

6-7+ Years = Project Complete