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The School Committee continues its process of reviewing the future needs at the Hillside and Mitchell Schools. On April 9th, the School Committee and the Permanent Public Building Committee (PPBC) held a joint meeting to hear options for the project from the architectural firm Dore & Whittier. Four options were presented at that meeting. Each was discussed in depth and pros and cons were considered. Two of these options emerged as the preferred choices by both School Committee and the PPBC. They were:
- Renovating or Building Schools for the Hillside and Mitchell Communities on Two Separate Sites
- Reconfiguring K-6 Population as follows:
- Using High Rock as a Neighborhood Elementary School with Redistricting
- Moving High Rock 6th Graders to a New 6th Grade Center
- Renovating Mitchell
Much of the discussion focused on how each of the options fits with the values that School Committee has articulated around this project, including:
Creating Schools with 3-4 sections per Grade Keeping Neighborhood Schools where Possible Reducing Potential Transportation and Other Operating Costs Limiting Money Spent on Short-term Construction (i.e., Modular Classrooms) Offering Full-day Kindergarten
Two other options were considered but ultimately rejected because they were not consistent with the core values of the project. The eliminated options were:
- Renovating or Building Schools for the Hillside and Mitchell Communities on One Site
- Reconfiguring Elementary and Middle Grades as follows:
- K-4 Elementary Schools Across the District
- One Middle School for Grades 5 and 6
- One Middle School for Grades 7 and 8
It should be noted that Needham may be asked to reconsider these options during the application process for funding assistance from the the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). Discussions with the MSBA will begin this summer. In the meantime, the architects at Dore & Whittier will continue to further analyze and assess the remaining options, including looking in greater detail at cost estimates.
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