Construction

• Who is the Construction Manager? 
  • Fontaine Bros. Inc. 
• What is the project schedule?
  • June 2024 - Construction enabling begins
  • Fall 2024 – Building construction starts 
  • Fall 2026 – Students move in to the new HS building
  • Summer 2027 – Site work completed
  • See the schedule graphic and student timeline here.
• Where will students be housed during construction? Will modular be needed during construction
  • The existing High School will remain fully occupied during construction, resulting in no modular classrooms or swing space. It will be the top priority and utmost importance to limit the disruption to students. The Construction Manager at Risk (Firm TBD) and Project Team will work with the School Administration to mitigate noise, vibration, dust, and ease of access during the construction process. 
• What construction activity is expected this summer?
  • This summer, the Fontaine Bros. construction team will install fencing to separate the school and construction areas. A new construction access road will be installed from Maple Street around the soccer field and into the building site. We will also relocate utilities outside of the new building footprint.
• What can students/parents expect when returning to school this fall?
  • In the fall of 2024, students and parents will continue to arrive at school via the front bus loop and the existing parking lot. The construction access driveway will be closed from 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. to ensure the entrance of Maple Street is dedicated to school traffic during drop-off. Construction will start inside the construction fence with excavation for foundations followed by structural steel. All traffic to the Central Administration Office will come through the main school entrance. There will be no vehicular access via the Norden Street Neighborhood.
• What athletic fields will be available this summer and during the school year? 
  • The stadium and three tennis courts will be available this summer. The JV baseball field and soccer fields will be temporarily unavailable while fencing and the construction access road are installed. The Athletics Department will provide additional information this fall on how the JV baseball field and soccer fields will be accommodated elsewhere in Town. 
• Will the construction be noisy?
  • Minimizing school disruption is a top goal of the project. Additionally, the School Administration and the Construction Project Team are in constant contact when and if there is a concern. Testing days are discussed well in advance to minimize the impact on students and staff.
• How will I know what is going on in the construction zone?
  • The project website will be updated throughout the project with progress reports and photos to keep the community informed. Monthly Construction Updates will be posted to the project website on the last Friday of each month.

DESIGN

• What will the new High School and Pool look like? 
  • See most recent design renderings here. 
• What's Included in the Project? 
  • Construction of an entirely new high school that meets the District's educational vision 
  • A welcoming and accessible building and site 
  • A new auditorium for music, drama, and large assemblies
  • New science, engineering, media, and culinary arts labs
  • A media center designed around 21st-century learning
  • A school designed to support the needs of diverse learners
  • A safer and greener parking and circulation plan
  • A new press box and concession stand
  • Updates of recreation fields, including softball fields, tennis courts, and basketball courts
  • A new, separately funded six-lane community pool and locker rooms
  • Outdoor teaching areas and indoor community meeting spaces
  • Inclusion of District Central Offices, IT Department, and ELCAT Studio 
  • Inclusion of a large rooftop solar array, EV charging stations, and a highly efficient mechanical system
  • A school and site that is LEED certified and meets East Longmeadow's Green Community standards
  • Up-to-date instructional technology and furnishings
  • A school that is air conditioned and efficiently heated, and supported by an emergency generator
• Why are the Central Offices, IT Department, and ELCAT Studio included in the Project?
  • The Town and SBC actively explored alternate locations for the Central Offices, IT Department, and ELCAT Studio. However, no alternate spaces were available within the Town's current properties. Therefore, new offices would have to be purchased and fit out to house these offices. Town Council and the SBC ultimately felt that moving these programs out of the Project would lead to more cost and logistical complexity for East Longmeadow.
• Why is the pool project a separate project from the High School project?
  • The MSBA does not participate in the funding of a pool in school construction projects. The East Longmeadow Pool Building Committee has been established, and the JWA/SMMA design team has been hired to design a six-lane community pool building adjacent to the new high school as a separate project on the same schedule. The two projects are anticipated to be completed simultaneously.
• Why did the SBC elect to not renovate the existing school?
  • The School Building Committee looked at a base repair option and found that cost savings were outweighed by the educational outcomes and long-term operational benefits of an entirely new school designed to meet the District and community's needs.
  • Specific downsides to a renovation project were:
    • Poor overall plan organization
    • Results in undersized classrooms
    • Results in lowered ceiling heights to accommodate the installation of ventilation and sprinklers
    • Security concerns associated with entry and exit locations and site control
    • Variance requirements for accessibility issues
    • Continued reliance on natural gas boilers
    • Continued operational expense associated with less efficient building design
    • The requirement to relocate students and staff during the two-year renovation process
    • There would be many challenges bringing the building up to code, resulting in smaller than current classroom sizes and floor-to-floor heights.

COST & FUNDING 

• How will the High School Project be funded?
  • The MSBA will contribute approximately $63M to the Project from revenue raised from state-wide sales taxes. The MSBA grant contributes to the Project by focusing on core educational and operational space needs. The MSBA grant program is not designed to pay the entire project cost. The community of East Longmeadow will pay the remainder of the project cost, roughly $114.5M, through a 30-year bond. Town voters must agree to a "debt exclusion" to allow the Town Council to secure the bonds(debt) for the Project. A "debt exclusion" is a temporary increase in property taxes to pay for a specific debt or capital expense, such as a building construction project. A debt exclusion is not permanent. When the Project has been paid for, the temporary increase in property taxes will be revoked and taxes reduced. On November 7th, 2023, the Town approved the debt exclusion vote to appropriate the full project cost.

• How much will the new High School and Pool Project Cost? 

High School Project By The Numbers 

Pool Project By The Numbers 

*Tax Impact assumptions: 2023 average assessed single family home value = $339,811. Over a 30-year loan, tax impact will fluctuate over time, having a slightly smaller impact for the first few years. Interest rates are estimated (at 5%). Tax rate impact assumes no increase in assessed value. 

• How much reimbursement do we expect to receive from the MSBA? 
  • MSBA has agreed to reimburse approximately $63M of the full project cost. The MSBA is reimbursing East Longmeadow at a rate of 61.95% of eligible costs. This is higher than the original rate of reimbursement because the District has opted to pursue a higher level of sustainable building design and indoor air quality, and has been rewarded an additional 1% because of good maintenance practices. However, only $99.M of the project costs are eligible for MSBA reimbursement.
  • Below is a list of MSBA's current standard funding caps or limits:
    • Construction reimbursement limit: $393 per square foot. 
    • Site work reimbursement limit:  $39 per square foot.
    • OPM fee reimbursement limit: 3.5% of construction costs (MSBA participation cap at $550 per SF)
    • Designer fee reimbursement limit: 10% of construction costs (MSBA participation cap at $550 per SF)
    • Furniture Fixtures and Equipment (FF&E) reimbursement limit: $1,200/student based on eligible enrollment number. 
    • Additionally, there are limits on specific costs associated with legal fees, temp facilities, moving costs and abatement of hazardous materials. 
  • Finally, there are square footage limitations. While almost all of the square footage of the high school is eligible for reimbursement at a rate of 61.95% of $393/sf, the District Offices, ELCAT and Town IT square footage is not eligible and all of the cost of these areas is paid for by the District.
• Do we account for inflation in the project budget?
  • Yes, the industry standard is to escalate to the midpoint of construction. Construction contingencies are also included to account for escalation.

GENERAL

• What is the East Longmeadow High School Project?
  • The East Longmeadow, High School Project, encompasses all aspects of the planning and construction of the High School, including the selection of the Owner's Project Manager (OPM), designer, and contractor, as well as oversight of the Project. The Town of East Longmeadow is participating in the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) process to design and construct a new High School. Acceptance to the MSBA program does not guarantee state funding. The MSBA approval process must be completed successfully for the State via the MSBA to provide significant financial assistance to the Project. In June 2021, the Town approved funds for the East Longmeadow High School Feasibility Study. The final product of the Feasibility Study will be a construction project proposal for which the Town must approve funding via a Town Vote. After the favorable November 7th, 2023, town-wide Debt Exclusion to fund the new high school, the project entered the Detailed Design phase. Construction enabling begins June 2024.
• Why does East Longmeadow need a new High School building?
  • The existing facility is comprised of three buildings constructed over 60 years ago; 1959, 1964, 1973. While the District has invested in ongoing maintenance of the existing building, the wholescale needs of the facility are significant and costly. Addressing these needs are paramount to meet the District’s educational goals for the future. After six years of failed attempts, in 2019, the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) accepted the Town’s application to participate in the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) rebuilding program. The MSBA offered East Longmeadow HS a grant opportunity for the following reasons. 
    • Most academic spaces are undersized relative to state guidelines
    • Technology and Special Education spaces are substantially undersized
    • Science labs lack current technology and space requirements
    • Electrical systems are at capacity and frequently fail to meet the basic needs
    • Transformer overheats, causing power outages and disruption of classes
    • School HVAC systems do not meet current ventilation requirements and lack central air conditioning
    • The roof is out of warranty and deteriorating, resulting in leaks and causing classrooms and corridors to be closed temporarily
    • Old asbestos tiling, adhesives, and insulation are becoming worn, presenting a possible health hazard
    • Windows and doors perform poorly and far below current code requirements causing significant energy loss
    • Unsafe site circulation

• Who is on the East Longmeadow HS Building Committee, and when does it meet?
  • The School Building Committee represents school and town leadership, School Committee, Facilities Department, educators, architects, residents, industry professionals, parents, town meeting members, and more. The Building Committee meets monthly in the School Committee Conference room and via Zoom. The meetings are open to the public, and participation is encouraged. 
• Who is the MSBA, and what is their role in this Project?
  • The  Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) is a funding partner for the East Longmeadow HS project and projects across the Commonwealth. The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) is a quasi-independent government authority created to reform the process of funding capital improvement projects in the Commonwealth's public schools. The MSBA strives to work with local communities to develop affordable, sustainable, and energy-efficient schools across Massachusetts. The Legislature created the MSBA in 2004 to replace the former school building assistance program administered by the Department of Education (now the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education). The MSBA, which has a dedicated revenue stream of one penny of the State's 6.25-percent sales tax, is collaborating with municipalities to equitably invest in finding the right-sized, most fiscally responsible, and educationally appropriate solutions to create safe, sound, and sustainable learning environments.