HomeMy Public PortalAbout2016-03-17 Core Program SOI to MSBAMichael J. Driscoll
Town Manager
TOWN OF
WATERTOWN
Office of the Town Manager
Administration Building
149 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472
Phone:617-972-6465
www.watertown-ma.gov
townmgrCahvatertown-ma wv
To: Honorable Town Council
From: Michael J. Driscoll, Town Manager rv�
Date: March 17, 2016
RE: Agenda Item — Consideration and Approval of Submitting the Core Program Statement of Interest to
the Massachusetts School Building Authority
Enclosed please find email correspondence from Dr. Jean M. Fitzgerald, Superintendent of Schools regarding
the subject.
The Core Program in question is the High School as indicated in the attached materials and as outlined in the
attached excerpt from the Fiscal Year 2017-2021 Capital Improvement Program correspondence which was
submitted on January 26, 2016.
For background purposes and for your review, I have attached some related materials from the Massachusetts
School Building Authority (MSBA).
As indicated on the MSBA website, the Core Program is primarily for projects beyond the scope of the
Accelerated Repair Program, including extensive repairs, renovations, addition/renovations, and new school
construction. MSBA review of Core Program SOIs will begin after the April 8, 2016 deadline.
Therefore, given all of the above, I respectfully request this matter be placed on the March 22°d Town Council
Agenda for consideration and approval of submitting the Core Program Statement of Interest to the
Massachusetts School Building Authority.
John Portz, School Committee Chair, Elizabeth Yusem, School Committee Member and Dr. Jean M.
Fitzgerald, Superintendent of Schools will be attending the March 22, 2016 Town Council Meeting and
available for further discussion on this matter.
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
cc: Honorable School Committee Thomas J. Tracy, Town Auditor/Asst. Town Manager for Finance
Dr. Jean M. Fitzgerald, Superintendent of Schools Joseph A. DiVito, Jr. Treasurer/Collector
Steven Magoon, CD&P Director/Asst. Town Manager Shirley J. Lundberg, Principal, Watertown High School
Mark R. Reich, Esquire, Kopelman and Paige, P.C.
Driscoll, Michael
From:
Jean Fitzgerald <jean.Fitzgerald@watertown.kl2.ma.us>
Sent:
Tuesday, March 15, 2016 7:35 PM
To:
Driscoll, Michael
Cc:
Sideris, Mark; Mark Sideris
Subject:
Statement of Interest for WHS to the MSBA
Mr. Driscoll,
I respectfully request that the Town Council consider supporting the submission of a Statement of Interest for
Watertown HIgh School with the Massachusetts School Building Authority at the Council meeting on March
22, 2016. The School Committee voted their support of the SOI at its meeting on March 14, 2016.
I will send you the pdf of the SOI and the required MSBA language for the vote.
My office will also provide you with hard copies of the SOI for those Counselors who prefer paper copies.
Kindly let me know how many paper copies you need.
Sincerely,
Jean M. Fitzgerald, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Watertown Public Schools
30 Common Street
Watertown, MA 02472
Building Community Through Positive Connections
1630 Watertown Public Schools
j 30 Common Street Watertown, Massachusetts 02472-3492
�F _ Phone: 617-926-7700
Fax: 617-923-1234
JeanAl Fitzgerald, Ed D., Superintendent
jeanfitzgeralda atertown.kl2.maus
Darilyn Donovan, Al Ed., Assistant Superintendent
darilyn.donovat a watertmvn.kl2.nta. its
REQUIRED FORM OF VOTE TO SUBMIT AN SOI
REQUIRED VOTES
If a city or Town, a vote in the following form is required from both the City
Council Board of Aldermen OR the Board of Selectmen/equivalent governing
body AND the School Committee.
FORM OF VOTE: Please use the text below to prepare your City's, Town's or
District's required vote(s).
"Resolved: Having convened in an open meeting on Tuesday, March
22, 2016, prior to the closing date, the Town Council of Watertown, in
accordance with its charter, by-laws, and ordinances, has voted to
authorize the Superintendent to submit to the Massachusetts School
Building Authority the Statement of Interest, CORE Program Request,
dated before the April 8, 2016 closing date, for the Watertown High
School located at 50 Columbia Street Watertown, MA 02472, which
describes and explains the following deficiencies and the priority
category(s) for which an application may be submitted to the
Massachusetts School Building Authority in the future:
Priority #2: Elimination of Severe Overcrowding.
Description: Proposed Addition and/or Renovation and/or Potential New
School Building
Priority #4: Prevention of severe overcrowding expected to result
from increased enrollments.
Description: Proposed Addition and/or Renovation and/or Potential New
School Building
Priority 45: Replacement, renovation or modernization of school
facility systems, such as roofs, windows, boilers, heating and
ventilation systems, to increase energy conservation and decrease
energy related costs in a school facility.
Description: Proposed Addition and/or Renovation and/or Potential New
School Building
Priority 47: Replacement of or addition to obsolete buildings in order to
provide for a full range of programs consistent with state and approved local
requirements.
Description: Proposed Addition and/or Renovation and/or Potential New
School Building
and hereby further specifically acknowledges that by submitting this
Statement of Interest Form, the Massachusetts School Building
Authority in no way guarantees the acceptance or the approval of an
application, the awarding of a grant or any other funding commitment
from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, or commits the
Watertown Public School District to filing an application for funding
with the Massachusetts School Building Authority"
CERTIFICATIONS
The undersigned hereby certifies that, to the best of his/her knowledge, information and belief,
the statements and information contained in this Statement of Interest and attached hereto are
true and accurate and that this Statement of Interest has been prepared under the direction of the
district school committee and the undersigned is duly authorized to submit this Statement of
Interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The undersigned also hereby
acknowledges and agrees to provide the Massachusetts School Building Authority, upon request
by the Authority, any additional information relating to this Statement of Interest that may be
required by the Authority.
Chief Executive Officer *
Michael J. Driscoll
Town Manager
(signature)
March 22, 2015
School Committee Chair
John Portz
Chairperson
(signature)
March 22, 2015
Superintendent of Schools
Jean M. Fitzgerald
Superintendent
(signature)
March 22 2015
(date) (date) (date)
*Local Chief Executive Officer: In a city or town with a manager form of government, the
manager of the municipality; in other cities, the mayor; and in other town, the board of selectmen
unless, in a city or town, some other municipal office is designated to the chief executive office
under the provisions of a local charter, Please note, in districts where the Superintendent is also
the Local Chief Executive Officer, it is required for the same person to sign the Statement of
Interest Certifications twice. Please do not leave any signature lines blank.
Excerpt from Fiscal Year 2017-2021 Capital Improvement Program
January 26, 2016
Pages 6 & 7
One of the Honorable Town Council's Fiscal Years 2015 through and 2017 Budget Policy
Guidelines is to "Work with the School Committee and Administration to develop long-range
plans, including budget, timeline, and identification of funding sources and mechanisms to
address school building requirements in order to meet the identified needs for enrollment and
programs".
As a follow up to that Budget Policy Guideline, on February 10, 2015 the Honorable Town
Council approved the submission of an Accelerated Repair Program Statement of Interest to the
Massachusetts School Building Authority. The Accelerated Repair Program (ARP) is primarily
for the repair and/or replacement of roofs, windows and/or boilers. The Reimbursement Rate for
calendar years 2014 and 2015 for Watertown is 48.47%. The Accelerated Repair in question is
the replacement of windows at the Middle School.
On June 3, 2015, the Town was informed that the MSBA had voted to invite the Town of
Watertown into the Accelerated Repair Program to partner with the MSBA in conducting a
Schematic Design Study at the Watertown Middle School for a potential window/door
replacement project.
On September 14, 2015, in keeping with the program requirements of the MSBA's Accelerated
Repair Program (ARP), the MSBA assigned both an owner's project manager (OPM) and a
designer to the Middle School project the Town had been invited to participate in the ARP.
On October 5, 2015, the MSBA provided the Town an additional 45 days to execute and submit
the Contract for Project Management Services as well as the Contract for Designer Services.
The submission of the Contracts needed to be made to the MSBA prior to November 25, 2015.
On October 21, 2015, Dr. Fitzgerald, Superintendent of Schools, provided an update to the
Honorable School Committee on the Middle School Windows Project indicating the cost
estimate by the MSBA for construction (excluding OPM and designer fees) was between $2.6
and $2.9 million, significantly more the original estimate of $302,642.
As a follow-up to the above mentioned October 21, 2015 correspondence, upon the completion
of the Fiscal Year 2017 Preliminary Budget Overview at the October 27, 2015 Town Council
Meeting, the MSBA Accelerated Repair Program Award (Middle School windows) was referred
to the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Oversight.
The Committee on Budget and Fiscal Oversight met on November 4, 2015 on the above
mentioned referral. Emerging from that discussion was the following motion "To recommend
that the full Town Council endorse this project and proceed with the revised scope of work, and
to have the First Reading of a $224,400 Loan Order at its November 10 meeting, and a
subsequent Public Hearing on November 24, to meet the November 25 deadline".
Excerpt from Fiscal Year 2017-2021 Capital Improvement Program
January 26, 2016
Pages 6 & 7
On November 24, 2015, the Honorable Town Council approved the above mentioned Loan
Order of $224,400 to pay costs for design services and project management services related to a
potential partial window/door replacement at the Middle School. This project is listed in the
Fiscal Year 2018 CIP at a cost of $3,000,000, of which $1,455,000 is anticipated to be
reimbursed from MSBA.
On March 10, 2015, the Honorable Town Council approved the submission of a Core Program
Statement of Interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The Core Program is
primarily for projects beyond the scope of the Accelerated Repair Program, including extensive
repairs, renovations, addition/renovations, and new school construction. The Core Program in
question is the High School.
On December 18, 2015, the MSBA informed the Town that the Watertown High School SOI will
not be invited into the MSBA's Fiscal Year 2015 eligibility period. MSBA indicated if
Watertown would like the High School to be considered for future collaboration with the MSBA,
the Town should file an SOI in Fiscal Year 2016 by April 8, 2016 (see attachment).
The Honorable School Committee and Honorable Town Council will consider the submission of
a Fiscal Year 2016 SOI in the coming months and in advance of the above mentioned deadline.
1Vla sI setts S�liool Building Authority'
Deborah B. Goldberg
Chairman, State Treasurer
December 18, 2015
Mr. Michael J. Driscoll
Watertown Town Manager
149 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472
Maureen G. Valente John K. McCarthy
Chief Executive Officer Executive Director/Deputy CEO
Re: Town of Watertown 2015 SOI Status
Dear Mr. Driscoll:
6�C`FICC0FT7IE'r0WN MANAGER.
RECEIVES)
T 0NVN OF Wt1I'ERT0W N
WMERTOWN, MASSANUSM'I'S
The Massachusetts School Building Authority (the "MSBA") would like to thank the Town of
Watertown (the "District") for expressing an interest in the MSBA's program for school building
construction, renovation, and repair grants through the 2015 Statement of Interest (the "SOI")
process.
Overall, the MSBA received 97 SOIs from 67 different school districts for consideration in 2015.
In reviewing SOIs, the MSBA identifies the school facilities that have the greatest and most
urgent need based on an assessment of the entire cohort of SOIs that are received for
consideration each year.
Through the MSBA's due diligence process and review of the 97 SOIs that were received for
consideration in 2015, the MSBA has determined that the Watertown High School SOI will not
be invited into the MSBA's Eligibility Period at this time.
If the District would like this school to be considered for future collaboration with the MSBA,
the District should file an SOI in an upcoming year. The MSBA will be accepting SOIs for
consideration in 2016 starting on January 8, 2016. Please see the detailed information about the
process below and on the MSBA's website. If your District is planning to submit an SOI in
2016, consider notifying local governing boards of your intentions, as local governing bodies
will have to vote to approve submission of an SOI prior to the following closing dates:
The SOI closing date for Districts submitting under the Accelerated Repair Program,
which is primarily for the repair and/or replacement of windows, roofs, and/or boilers in
an otherwise structurally sound facility, will be Friday, February 12, 2016.
- The SOI closing date for Districts submitting under the Core Program, which is primarily
for projects beyond the scope of Accelerated Repair, including extensive repairs,
renovations, addition/renovations, and new school construction will be Friday, April 8,
2016.
40 Broad Street, Suite 500 • Boston, MA 02109 • Tel: 617-720-4466 • Fax: 617-720-5260 • www.MassSchoolBuildings.org
t.
Page 2
December 18, 2015
2015 SOI Status Letter
The MSBA is proud to be collaborating with the Town of Watertown on the Watertown Middle
School project, and remains committed to partnering with the District to better understand any
other school facility issues in the District. The MSBA will be sending more detailed information
regarding the 2016 SOI process in the coming weeks.
Please feel free to contact Diane Sullivan, Director of Program Management at (617) 720-4466
should you have any questions.
Sincerely,
%�auicc��i.�✓
Maureen G. Valente
Chief Executive Office
John K. McCarthy
Executive Director/Deputy CEO
Cc: Legislative Delegation
Eileen Hsu -Balzer, Chair, Watertown School Committee
Dr. Jean M. Fitzgerald, Superintendent, Watertown Public Schools
Name of School Watertowir'High School
Massachusetts School Building Authority
Next Steps to Finalize Submission of your FY 2016 Statement of Interest
Thank you for submitting your FY 2016 Statement of Interest (Sol) to the MSBA electronically. Please note, the
District's submission is not yet complete. The District is required to print and mail a hard copy of the SOI to the
MSBA along with the required supporting documentation, which is described below.
Each SOI has two Certification pages that must be signed by the Superintendent, the School Committee Chair, and the
Chief Executive Officer*. Please make sure that both certifications contained in the SOI have been signed and dated by
each of the specified patties and that the hardcopy SOI is submitted to the MSBA with original signatures.
SIGNATURES: Each SOI has two (2) Certification pages that must be signed by the District.
In some Districts, two of the required signatures may be that of the same person. If this is the case, please have that
person sign in both locations. Please do not leave any of the signature lines blank or submit photocopied signatures, as
your SOI will be incomplete.
*Local chief executive officer: In a city or town with a manager form of government, the manager of the
municipality; in other cities, the mayor; and in other towns, the board of selectmen unless, in a city or town,
some other municipal office is designated as the chief executive office under the provisions of a local charter.
VOTES: Each SOI must be submitted with the proper vote documentation. This means that (1) the required
governing bodies have voted to submit each SOI, (2) the specific vote language required by the MSBA has been used,
and (3) the District has submitted a record of the vote in the format required by the MSBA.
School Committee Vote: Submittal of all SOIs must be approved by a vote of the School Committee.
For documentation of the vote of the School Committee, Minutes of the School Committee meeting at
which the vote was taken must be submitted with the original signature of the Committee Chairperson. The
Minutes must contain the actual text of the vote taken which should be substantially the same as the
MSBA's SOI vote language.
Municipal Body Vote: SOIs that are subntted by cities and towns must be approved by a vote of the
appropriate municipal body (e.g., City Council/ Aldermen/Board of Selectmen) in addition to a vote of the School
Committee.
Regional School Districts do not need to submit a vote of the municipal body.
For the vote of the municipal governing body, a copy of the text of the vote, which shall be substantially the
same as the MSBA's SOI vote language, must be submitted with a certification of the City/Town Clerk
that the vote was taken and duly recorded, and the date of the vote must be provided.
CLOSED SCHOOLS: Districts must download the report from the "Closed School" tab, which can be found on the
District Main page. Please print this report, which then must be signed by the Superintendent, the School Committee
Chair, and the Chief Executive Officer. A signed report, with original signatures must be included with the District's hard
copy SOI submittal. If.a District submits multiple SOIs, only one copy of the Closed School information is
required.
ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION FOR SOI PRIORITIES #1 AND #3: If a District selects Priority #1 and/or
Priority #3, the District is required to submit additional documentation with its SOI.
Massachusetts School Building Authority . I Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertown High,School
If a District selects Priority #1, Replacement or renovation of a building which is structurally unsound or otherwise
in a condition seriously jeopardizing the health and safety of the school children, where no alternative exists, the
MSBA requires a hard copy of the engineering or other report detailing the nature and severity of the problem and
a written professional opinion of how imminent the system failure is likely to manifest itself. The District also must
submit photographs of the problematic building area or system to the MSBA.
If a District selects Priority #3, Prevention of a loss of accreditation, the MSBA requires the full accreditation
report(s) and any supporting correspondence between the District and the accrediting entity.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: In addition to the information required with the SOI hard copy submittal, the
District may also provide any reports, pictures, or other information they feel will give the MSBA a better understanding
,of the issues identified at a facility.
If you have any questions about the SOI process please contact Diane Sullivan at 617-720-4466 or
Diane.Sullivan@masssclioolbuildiiigs•org.
Massachusetts School Building Authority 2 Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertown High School
Massachusetts School Building Authority
School District Watertown
District Contact Jean M Fitzgerald TEL: (617) 926-7700
Name of School Watertown High
Submission Date 3/15/2016
SOI CERTIFICATION
To be eligible to submit a Statement of Interest (SOI), a district must certify the following:
The district hereby acknowledges and agrees that this SOI is NOT an application for funding and that submission of this SOI
in no way commits the MSBA to accept an application, approve an application, provide a grant or any other type of funding,
or places any other obligation on the MSBA.
r The district hereby acknowledges that no district shall have any entitlement to funds from the MSBA, pursuant to M.G.L. c.
70B or the provisions of 963 CMR 2.00.
The district hereby acknowledges thatthe provisions of 963 CMR 2.00 shall apply to the district and all projects for which
the district is seeking and/or receiving funds for any portion of a municipally -owned or regionally -owned school facility from
the MSBA pursuant to M.G.L. c. 70B.
r` The district hereby acknowledges that this SOI is for one existing municipally -owned or regionally -owned public school
facility in the district that is currently used or will be used to educate public PreK-12 students and that the facility for which
the SOT is being submitted does not serve a solely early childhood or Pre-K student population.
r' After the district completes and submits this SOI electronically, the district must sign the required certifications and submit one
signed original hard copy of the SOI to the MSBA, with all of the required documentation described under the "Vote" tab, on
or before the deadline.
E The district will schedule and hold a meeting at which the School Committee will vote, using the specific language contained in
the "Vote" tab, to authorize the submission of this SOI. This is required for cities, towns, and regional school districts.
Prior to the submission of the hard copy of the SOI, the district will schedule and hold a meeting at which the City
Council/Board of Aldermen or Board of Selectnren/equivalent governing body will vote, using the specific language contained
in the "Vote" tab, to authorize the submission of this SOI. This is not required for regional school districts.
r On or before the SOI_deadline, the district will submit the minutes of the meeting at which the School Committee votes to
authorize the Superintendent to submit this SOI. The District will use the MSBA's vote template and the vote will specifically
reference the school and the priorities for which the SOI is being submitted. The minutes will be signed by the School
Committee Chair. This is required for cities, towns, and regional school districts.
The district has arranged with the City/Town Clerk to certify the vote of the City Council/Board of Aldermen or Board of
Selectmen/equivalent governing body to authorize the Superintendent to submit this SOI. The district will use the MSBA's
vote template and submit the full text of this vote, which will specifically reference the school and the priorities for which the
SOI is being submitted, to the MSBA on or before the SOI deadline. This is not required for regional school districts.
r The district hereby acknowledges that this SOI submission will not be complete until the MSBA has received all of the
required vote documentation and certification signatures in a format acceptable to the MSBA. If Priority 1 is selected, your
Statement of Interest will not be considered complete unless and until you provide the required engineering (or other) report,
a professional opinion regarding the problem, and photographs of the problematic area or system.
Massachusetts School Building Authority 3 Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertown
School
Chief Executive Officer *
School Committee Chair Superintendent of Schools
(signature) (signature) (signature)
Date Date Date
* Local chief executive officer: In a city or town with a manager form of government, the manager of the municipality;
in other cities, the mayor; and in other towns, the board of selectmen unless, in a city or town, some other municipal
office is designated to the chief executive office under the provisions of a local charter. Please note, in districts where
the Superintendent is also the Local Chief Executive Officer, it is required for the same person to sign the Statement
of Interest Certifications twice. Please do not leave any signature lines blank.
Massachusetts School Building Authority 4 Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertown High School
Massachusetts School Building Authority
School District Watertown
District Contact Jean M Fitzgerald TEL: (617) 926-7700
Name of School Watertown High
Submission Date 3/15/2016
Note
The following Priorities have been included in the Statement of Interest:
1. Replacement or renovation of a building which is structurally unsound or otherwise in a condition seriously
jeopardizing the health and safety of school children, where no alternative exists.
2. n Elimination of existing severe overcrowding.
3. Prevention of the loss of accreditation.
4. Prevention of severe overcrowding expected to result from increased enrollments.
5. Replacement, renovation or modernization of school facility systems, such as roofs, windows, boilers, heating and
ventilation systems, to increase energy conservation and decrease energy related costs in a school facility.
6. r Short term enrollment growth.
7. r' Replacement of or addition to obsolete buildings in order to provide for a full range of programs consistent with state
and approved local requirements.
8. r Transition from court -ordered and approved racial balance school districts to walk -to, so-called, or other school
districts.
SOI Vote Requirement
r; I acknowledge that I have reviewed the MSBA's vote requirements for submitting an SOI which are set forth in the Vote
Tab of this SOI. I understand that the MSBA requires votes from specific parties/governing bodies, in a specific format using
the language provided by the MSBA. Further, I understand that the MSBA requires certified and signed vote documentation to
be submitted with the SOI. I acknowledge that my SOI will not be considered complete and, therefore, will not be reviewed by
the MSBA unless the required accompanying vote documentation is submitted to the satisfaction of the MSBA.
Potential Project Scope: Potential New School
_ ... _.. _._.... _........ ... _....... _ .........--- -- _... __._....._....._ ............... ......... _...._ ..._..
Is this SOI the District Priority SOI? YES
School name of the District Priority SOI: Watertown High
Is this part of a larger facilities plan? NO
If "YES", please provide the following:
Facilities Plan Date:
Planning Firm:
Please provide an overview of the plan including as much detail as necessary to describe the plan, its
goals and how the school facility that is the subject of this SOI fits into that plan:
Massachusetts School Buildine Authority 5 Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertown Hiah School
Please provide the current student to teacher ratios at the school facility that is the subject of this SOI: 18 students
per teacher
Please provide the originally planned student to teacher ratios at the school facility that is the subject of this SOL•
18 students per teacher
Does the District have a Master Educational Plan that includes facility goals for this building and all school
buildings in District? NO
Does the District have related report(s)/document(s) that detail its facilities, student configurations at each
facility, and District operational budget information, both current and proposed? YES
If "YES", please provide title, author, and date of report in area below.
The district conducted a School Facilities Assessment. The study was conducted by Oudens Ello Architecture, LLC.
The report was completed on March 13, 2014. The full report was submitted in hard copy to the MSBA in March
2014 and is on file with MSBA.
Please include a hard copy of these report(s)/documeut(s) with your hard copy Statement of I»terest
submittal.
Is there overcrowding at the school facility? YES
If "YES", please describe in detail, including specific examples of the overcrowding.
There are many areas of insufficient and/or substandard spaces that contribute to the overcrowding at the high school.
The cafeteria cannot provide seating for our student body over a three lunches design- capacity per lunch is 204. Some
students stand near counters, while others sit under the stairwell on makeshift benches. The kitchen's equipment and set-
up is at capacity. Serving lines and food choices are very limited by the current cafeteria size and design; there is no
room to set up a salad bar so only premade salads are available for student consumption. The gymnasium is undersized
for the number of PE classes; there are times when 3 PE classes must be. held in the gym simultaneously. This can be
relieved somewhat in good weather by using Victory Field (VF) as an additional teaching space. VF is located 1/3 mile
from the school requiring students to walk in each direction; this means a loss of instructional time and significant
challenges for those students with disabilities. There is no field space adjacent to the building. All but one meeting space
has been converted to classrooms. When two or more meetings are held at the same time, it is necessary to close
student access to the Career Center in order to accommodate the meetings. This situation also contributes to
confidentiality concerns. Many WES students receive counseling as part of their educational program. The main
counseling area has inadequate office spaces adjoined by a common room. This situation contributes to the concerns for
confidentiality as well as the space limitations. The Fine and Performing Arts spaces are severely limited. The Choral
program is limited by its lack of physical space to approximately 25 students. It is adjacent to non -music classrooms
making collaboration impossible. It is also non -adjacent to a performance space, which causes acoustical issues in non
music spaces. Our chorus rehearses in both hallways and the main lobby area of the school. Non-performance music
classes are retrofitted into the performance rehearsal spaces limiting individual rehearsal space. Practice rooms have
been converted into single computer rooms which limits individual rehearsal space. The Band program is limited by lack
of physical space to approximately 50 students. Though there is a viable feeder program from the middle school, the
Drama program at WHS was eliminated. Currently, Drama is only offered after school which limits the program to two
productions per yen. This program is limited by lack of set storage space and set construction space. Lighting storage is
only accessible by climbing through the onstage counterweight rigging system creating an unsafe situation. There are no
classrooms available for drama class and no small performance area. Watertown has a MIT recognized FABLAB which
is currently housed in the school's library and necessitated a reduction in space and materials. While this space is not
ideal, it is important for us to expand 21st Century programming to prepare our students for the world beyond
Watertown. We added an engineering course to our curriculum this year through Project Lead the Way which required
the elimination of a computer repair course in order to create the space for the new program. To remain a member of
PLTW, we must systematically add additional PLTW courses, which will further exacerbate our space crunch. The
TV/Video/Radio production class does not fit in the school, so class must be held in the Watertown Community Access
TV Center. The Lecture Hall is undersized and cannot hold all of the current staff for a meeting. As a classroom space, it
is too small to accommodate more than 1 class at a time. Also, tiered seating reduces or eliminates access for students
Massachusetts School Building Authority 6 Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertown High School
with physical challenges. We offer a Life Skills program for significantly challenged young adults 18-22 (LEAP). We
were unable to provide a fidly effective range of life skills training for these students due to lack of space to house a
kitchen, washer/dryer, etc., therefore we moved this program to the Administrative Building which is not ideal since is
separates these students from the general student population.
Has the district had any recent teacher layoffs or reductions? NO
If "YES", how many teaching positions were affected? 0
At which schools in the district?
Please describe the types of teacher positions that were eliminated (e.g., art, math, science, physical education,
etc.).
Has the district had any recent staff layoffs or reductions? NO
If "YES", how many staff positions were affected? 0
At which schools in the district?
Please describe the types of staff positions that were eliminated (e.g., guidance, administrative, maintenance,
etc.).
Please provide a description of the program modifications as a consequence of these teacher and/or staff
reductions, including the impact on district class sizes and curriculum.
Does Not Apply
Please provide a detailed description of your most recent budget approval process including a description of any
budget reductions and the impact of those reductions on the district's school facilities, class sizes, and educational
program.
Preparation of the FY16 budget supported the district strategic goals, and guided by the F16 budget priorities: • To
maintain safe and secure school buildings that are conducive to effective learning and which foster a connected community
as well as strong student support and mental health services • To provide an effective system of tiered instruction to meet the
needs of all children at every level and to offer a diverse selection of classes to meet the needs of 21st century • A wide
range of curricular and extracurricular opportunities to educate the whole child • To provide a comprehensive array of
special education and student support services with an emphasis on inclusive educational interventions and to develop
responsive mental health programs and services addressing developmental issues and crisis management. The district
continues to reinstate quality programming previously cut during difficult financial times while also addressing changing
expectations in education. Difficult decisions still must be made regarding the use of available monies and space. The FYI
budget development process involved district leadership team meetings beginning in November 2014, mmnierous Budget and
Finance Sub Committee meetings January through April 2015, Vote of the School Committee (4/8/2015), Presentation to
Town Council (6/2/2015) and Final Vote on Town Appropriation (6/9/2015).
Massachusetts School Building Authority 7 Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertown High School
General Description
BRIEF BUILDING HISTORY: Please provide a detailed description of when the original building was built, and
the date(s) and project scopes(s) of any additions and renovations (maximum of 5000 characters).
Date Constructed 1929, Number of floors- 3 approx sq footage 165000.
Additions, Renovations, and Major Maintenance
1950s: Two-story program space addition to the northeast building corner plus one-story addition at southeast corner.
1979: Program space addition at the south elevation (enclose the courtyard) plus auto shop at the northeast comer.
2004: Cafeteria addition and entire building low -sloped roof replacement.
TOTAL BUILDING SQUARE FOOTAGE: Please provide the original building square footage PLUS the square
footage of any additions.
165000
SITE DESCRIPTION: Please provide a detailed description of the current site and any known existing conditions
that would impact a potential project at the site. Please note whether there are any other buildings, public or
private, that share this current site with the school facility. What is the use(s) of this building(s)? (maximum of
5000 characters).
Bound by Columbia Street, Broadway Street, Common Street and the Common Street Cemetery, the High School
property offers very limited parking and outdoor pedestrian/green space. The School's primary open space, Victory Field,
is located approximately one third of a mile away off on Orchard Street. The school property's tight boundaries prohibit
building expansion of any kind, which suggests that space deficiencies as described herein are difficult if not impossible to
overcome. Moreover, the remote location of Victory Field further compromises the overall functionality of the High
School. The lack of open green space adjacent to the school building limits the types of physical and social outdoor
activities and experiences that can often be among the most enriching and memorable for students of their school days.
The remote location of Victory Field is a serious deficiency at the high school.
The Watertown Cable Access Cooperation (WCAC) is also located at 50 Columbia Street. While our students have
access to the WCAC studio, their classroom instruction must be taught in a WCAC room, as we do not have classroom
space available in the school proper.
ADDRESS OF FACILITY: Please type address, including number, street name and city/town, if available, or
describe the location of the site. (Maximum of 300 characters)
50 Columbia Street, Watertown, MA 02742
BUILDING ENVELOPE: Please provide a detailed description of the building envelope, types of construction
materials used, and any known problems or existing conditions (maximum of 5000 characters).
Wall System:
All Building Areas: Clay brick mass masonry through with decorative precast concrete, cast stone, and coated terra-cotta
accent at original 1929 structure only
Window System:
All Building Areas: Punched windows are aluminum framed, hung windows with single -pane glass. 1979 Addition features
aluminum curtain wall frames with insulating glass units (IGUs).
Door System:
Massachusetts School Building Authority 8 Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertown High -School
All Building Areas: Main door at the 1979 Addition is set into the curtain wall system. Other doors are hollow or insulated
metal.
No air lock at main entrance.
Roof System:
All Building Areas: Sarnafil PVC membrane typical at low -sloped areas and standing seam metal at steep sloped areas.
Reports of Building Enclosure Leakage/Distress:
Localized areas of interior peeling paint, generally associated with failing mortarjoints on the exterior and most severe
along the parking lot (east) elevation; Watertown Public Schools (WPS) reportedly repoints failing joints on an ongoing
basis to address leakage. Water leakage reportedly occurs at louvers and is dependent on wind direction during the storm.
Overall Building Envelope Condition / Major Concerns:
Exterior walls are in fair condition with notable areas of distress (Efflorescence, cracking, mortar spalls at lintel ends) that
should be repaired in the near to mid-term to avoid more significant deterioration. Windows are significantly worn with
failing seals and replacement or significant short-term repairs (e.g. wet -sealing) should be anticipated in the next several
years. Roofing membrane and steep sloped metal roofing generally appear to be in good condition with only typical
maintenance necessary.
Walls:
1929 Building: Brick masonry and joints are typically in fair condition and appear sound but weathered. Efflorescence
exists along the outside of the parapet and appears to emanate from below the coping at an entrance canopy, and below
many of the windows. Lintels appear painted, with isolated locations of corrosion visible. Vertical cracks in the concrete
foundation wall that have been previously sealed are failing again, exist throughout the building, typically below windows.
Concrete stair/landing at an east auxiliary entrance has settled and fallen away from the building. Water table elements
below the parapet have significant staining and open mortar joints. A coating has been applied over terra Gotta at pall of
the main entrance; the coating appears to be failing, and several terra Gotta pieces with the coated area have spalled.
1950s Addition:
Brick masonry and mortar joints are typically sound with minimal weathering. Lintels are painted with localized corrosion
visible and spalled mortar at the bearing ends; no evidence of rust jacking is visible. Localized efflorescence exists at one
pilaster and one location of the parapet of the one-story addition, as well as below most of the north elevation windows. A
step crack also exists emanating from the window of the one-story addition towards the 1929 Building, and an area at the
northeast corer of the two-story addition appears to have been previously repaired.
1979 Addition:
Brick masonry units are cracked throughout the building, which appears to be material or manufacturing related — not
structural. Step cracking exists at the end of auto shop garage door. Lintels are galvanized steel and appear to be sound
with no observed corrosion or evidence of rust jacking. Urethane sealant at brick expansion joints is crazed.
All Building Areas:
Perimeter seals are starting to fail at isolated locations. Window glazing is failing. Finish on the frames is faded, worn, and
beginning to corrode at some locations. Exterior gaskets in the curtain wall framing system of the 1979 Addition are
embrittled, cracked, and short at corners. Several IGUs along the east elevation have failed and have condensation on the
interior. Inadequate insulation throughout leading to frozen controls and bursting pipes.
Has there been a Major Repair or Replacement of the EXTERIOR WALLS? YES
Year of Last Major Repair or Replacement: (YYYY) 2014
Description of Last Major Repair or Replacement:
Exterior of building repointed and sealed on 75% of building.
Roof Section .A
Massachusetts School Building Authority 9 Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertovm High School
Is the District seeking replacement of the Roof Section? YES
Area of Section (square feet) 85000
Type of ROOF (e.g., PVC, EPDM, Shingle, Slate, Tar & Gravel, Other (please describe)
PVC Sarnifil Material
Age of Section (number of years since the Roof was installed or replaced) 12
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Roof completely replaced in 2003. 12014 minor reppairs made to scams where leaking occurred. Roof inspected
annually and roof drains cleared two times per year and as needed.
Roof Section B
Is the District seeking replacement of the Roof Section?
Area of Section (square feet)
Type of ROOF (e.g., PVC, EPDM, Shingle, Slate, Tar & Gravel, Other (please describe)
Age of Section (number of years since the Roof was installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Roof Section C
Is the District seeking replacement of the Roof Section?
Area of Section (square feet)
Type of ROOF (e.g., PVC, EPDM, Shingle, Slate, Tar & Gravel, Other (please describe)
Age of Section (number of years since the Roof was installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair
....._.._. _... _........_....._..........__....._.._....._.. .__...._ ..
Roof Section D
Is the District seeking replacement of the Roof Section?
Area of Section (square feet)
Type of ROOF (e.g., PVC, EPDM, Shingle, Slate, Tar & Gravel, Other (please describe)
Age of Section (number of years since the Roof was installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Roof Section E
Is the District seeking replacement of the Roof Section?
Area of Section (square feet)
Type of ROOF (e.g., PVC, EPDM, Shingle, Slate, Tar & Gravel, Other (please describe)
Age of Section (number of years since the Roof was installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, h1 the last three years. Include year of repair:
Roof Section F
Is the District seeking replacement of the Roof Section?
Area of Section (square feet)
Type of ROOF (e.g., PVC, EPDM, Shingle, Slate, Tar & Gravel, Other (please describe)
Age of Section (number of years since the Roof was installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Roof Section G
Is the District seeking replacement of the Roof Section?
Area of Section (square feet)
Type of ROOF (e.g., PVC, EPDM, Shingle, Slate, Tar & Gravel, Other (please describe)
Age of Section (number of years since the Roof was installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Roof Section H
Massachusetts School Building Authority 10 Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertown High School
Is the District seeking replacement of the Roof Section?
Area of Section (square feet)
Type of ROOF (e.g., PVC, EPDM, Shingle, Slate, Tar & Gravel, Other (please describe)
Age of Section (number of years since the Roof was installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Roof Section I
Is the District seeking replacement of the Roof Section?
Area of Section (square feet)
Type of ROOF (e.g., PVC, EPDM, Shingle, Slate, Tar & Gravel, Other (please describe)
Age of Section (number of years since the Roof was installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Roof Section J
Is the District seeking replacement of the Roof Section?
Area of Section (square feet)
Type of ROOF (e.g., PVC, EPDM, Shingle, Slate, Tar & Gravel, Other (please describe)
Age of Section (number of years since the Roof was installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Window Section A
Is the District seeking replacement of the Windows Section? YES
Windows in Section (count) 385
Type of WINDOWS (e.g., Single Pane, Double Pane, Other (please describe))
Punched windows are aluminum framed, ]lung windows with single -pane glass and aluminum curtain wall frames with
insulating glass units (IOUs).
Age of Section (number of years since the Windows were installed or replaced) 36
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Various class repair and replacement due to breakage. Replacement of curtain wall windows in athletics offices and
2nd floor corridor.
Window Section B
Is the District seeking replacement of the Windows Section?
Windows in Section (count)
Type of WINDOWS (e.g., Single Pane, Double Pane, Other (please describe))
Age of Section (number of years since the Windows were installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Window Section C
Is the District seeking replacement of the Windows Section?
Windows in Section (count)
Type of WINDOWS (e.g., Single Pane, Double Pane, Other (please describe))
Age of Section (number of yearns since the Windows were installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
--------------
Window Section D
Is the District seeking replacement of the Windows Section?
Windows in Section (count)
Type of WINDOWS (e.g., Single Pane, Double Pane, Other (please describe))
Age of Section (number of years since the Windows were installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. hrclude year of repair:
Massachusetts School Buildine Authority 11 Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertown High School
Window Section E
Is the District seeking replacement of the Windows Section?
Windows in Section (count)
Type of WINDOWS (e.g., Single Pane, Double Pane, Other (please describe))
Age of Section (number of years since the Windows were installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Window Section E
Is the District seeking replacement of the Windows Section?
Windows in Section (count)
Type of WINDOWS (e.g., Single Pane, Double Pane, Other (please describe))
Age of Section (number of years since the Windows were installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
. _......_..._. . ......................
Window Section G
Is the District seeking replacement of the Windows Section?
Windows in Section (count)
Type of WINDOWS (e.g., Single Pane, Double Pane, Other (please describe))
Age of Section (number of years since the Windows were installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Window Section H
Is the District seeking replacement of the Windows Section?
Windows in Section (count)
Type of WINDOWS (e.g., Single Pane, Double Pane, Other (please describe))
Age of Section (number of years since the Windows were installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Window Section I
Is the District seeking replacement of the Windows Section?
Windows in Section (count)
Type of WINDOWS (e.g., Single Pane, Double Pane, Other (please describe))
Age of Section (number of years since the Windows were installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Window Section
Is the District seeking replacement of the Windows Section?
Windows in Section (count)
Type of WINDOWS (e.g., Single Pane, Double Pane, Other (please describe))
Age of Section (number of years since the Windows were installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
MECHANICAL and ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS: Please provide a detailed description of the current mechanical
and electrical systems and any known problems or existing conditions (maximum of 5000 characters).
The existing building is fed underground from a utility company pad mount transformer. This underground service feeds a
208/120 volt, 3000 amp switchboard which was installed in 1979. This newer switchboard then re -feeds the original
building switchboard and associated distribution equipment. It was observed that the majority of existing panelboards are
original to the building and in need of replacement.
The majority of lighting fixtures consist of 2'x2' and 2'x4' recess acrylic lensed fixtures. These fixtures have all been
upgraded recently with new lamps and ballasts and are in good condition.
Massachusetts School Building, Authority 12 Statement of Interest
Name of School
It School
The existing fire alarm system is the product of the Edwards Corporation and is an addressable system with no voice
communication. The building contains a sprinkler system and is supplemented with smoke detector coverage. The system
is approximately 10 years old and appears to be regularly maintained and in good condition.
A diesel fueled emergency generator is located in the building penthouse and provides for emergency lighting, heating and
power for the kitchen refrigeration walk-in units. The size and age of the generator could not be determined but appears to
be at least 30 years old
Boiler Section 1
Is the District seeking replacement of the Boiler? YES
Is there more than one boiler room in the School? NO
What percentage of the School is heated by the Boiler? 100
Type of heating fuel (e.g., Heating Oil, Natural Gas, Propane, Other)
natural gas
Age of Boiler (number of years since the Boiler was installed or replaced) 15
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Burners are maintained and tuned annually,Flush down completed weekly. New control system installed in 2014.
Summer maintenance performed annually on all safety controls.
Boiler Section 2
Is the District seeking replacement of the Boiler?
Is there more than one boiler room in the School?
What percentage of the School is heated by the Boiler?
Type of heating fuel (e.g., Heating Oil, Natural Gas, Propane, Other)
Age of Boiler (number of years since the Boiler was installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Boiler Section 3
Is the District seeking replacement of the Boiler?
Is there more than one boiler room in the School?
What percentage of the School is heated by the Boiler?
Type of heating fuel (e.g., Heating Oil, Natural Gas, Propane, Other)
Age of Boiler (number of years since the Boiler was installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Boiler Section 4
Is the District seeking replacement of the Boiler?
Is there more than one boiler room in the School?
What percentage of the School is heated by the Boiler?
Type of heating fuel (e.g., Heating Oil, Natural Gas, Propane, Other)
Age of Boiler (number of years since the Boiler was installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Boiler Section 5
Is the District seeking replacement of the Boiler?
Is there more than one boiler room in the School?
What percentage of the School is heated by the Boiler?
Type of heating fuel (e.g., Heating Oil, Natural Gas, Propane, Other)
Age of Boiler (number of years since the Boiler was installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Boiler Section 6
Massachusetts School Building Authority 13 Statement of Interest
Name of School
Is the District seeking replacement of the Boiler?
Is there more than one boiler room in the School?
What percentage of the School is heated by the Boiler?
Type of heating fuel (e.g., Heating Oil, Natural Gas, Propane, Other)
Age of Boiler (number of years since the Boiler was installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Boiler Section 7
Is the District seeking replacement of the Boiler?
Is there more than one boiler room in the School?
What percentage of the School is heated by the Boiler?
Type of heating fuel (e,g., Heating Oil, Natural Gas, Propane, Other)
Age of Boiler (number of years since the Boiler was installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
... .. ... ... ......... ..... _._.. ...... ..... .... ._...... _... .. ..
Boiler Section 8
Is the District seeking replacement of the Boiler?
Is there more than one boiler room in the School?
What percentage of the School is heated by the Boiler?
Type of heating fuel (e.g., Heating Oil, Natural Gas, Propane, Other)
Age of Boiler (number of years since the Boiler was installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Boiler Section 9
Is the District seeking replacement of the Boiler?
Is there more than one boiler room in the School?
What percentage of the School is heated by the Boiler?
Type of heating fuel (e.g., Heating Oil, Natural Gas, Propane, Other)
Age of Boiler (number of years since the Boiler was installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Boiler Section 10
Is the District seeking replacement of the Boiler?
Is there more than one boiler room in the School?
What percentage of the School is heated by the Boiler?
Type of heating fuel (e.g., Heating Oil, Natural Gas, Propane, Other)
Age of Boiler (number of years since the Boiler was installed or replaced)
Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair:
Has there been a Major Repair or Replacement of the HVAC SYSTEM? YES
Year of Last Major Repair or Replacement:(YYYY) 2014
Description of Last Major Repair or Replacement:
Motor upgrade in all air handling units. Unit ventilators replaced. Variable drive controls installed on all motors, DDC
control system installed in building.
Has there been a Major Repair or Replacement of the ELECTRICAL SERVICES AND DISTRIBUTION
SYSTEM? YES
Year of Last Major Repair or Replacement:(YYYY) 2014
Description of Last Major Repair or Replacement:
The existing building is fed underground from a utility company pad mount transformer. This underground service feeds
a 208/120 volt, 3000 amp switchboard which was installed in 1979 and modified to code in 2014 as part of
Watertown's FSCO contract with Johnson Controls, Inc. This newer equipment re -feeds the original building
Massachusetts School Building Authority 14 Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertown High School -
switchboard and associated distribution equipment.
BUILDING INTERIOR: Please provide a detailed description of the current building interior including a
description of the flooring systems, finishes, ceilings, lighting, etc. (maximum of 5000 characters).
The walls are constructed of cinder block brick covered by latex paint. Flooring consists of VCT tiles and carpeting. The
ceilings are 2 x2 and 2 x 4 drop in the majority of the building, with plaster ceilings in the auditorium and two art rooms.
PROGRAMS and OPERATIONS: Please provide a detailed description of the current programs offered and
grades served, and indicate whether there are program components that cannot be offered due to facility
constraints, operational constraints, etc. (maximum of 5000 characters).
Watertown High School houses grades 9-12 and offers a rigorous academic program with graduation requirements that
include 4 yrs of English, Math, PE ; 3 yrs of Science, Social Studies; 1 yr of Fine Arts/CTE; 1 semester of Health and 36
Community Service lirs, with 3 yrs of a World Language strongly recommended. The building presents an obstacle to
properly deliver a 21st century education. The current department layout inhibits the best practices of collaboration and
planning for project -based interdisciplinary learning opportunities. Classrooms are not designed for contemporary
pedagogical objectives of student centered classrooms with a variety of seating configurations. Rooms lack formal and
informal capability for subdivision into smaller teaching spaces. Smaller teaching, evaluation and counseling spaces in
proximity to classrooms are lacking. There are no dedicated spaces where teachers can collaborate and plan together.
WES forecasts a growing enrollment, expansion of 21st century learning opportunities and programs and increasing
demands of high needs students currently at 44%. These needs are constrained by the lack of classroom space, lack of
flexibility in existing classroom space and shortage of smaller spaces for specialized 1:1 and small group instruction as well
as a lack of adequate therapeutic, collaboration and conferencing spaces. Science rooms are small for the science class
sizes. Laboratory space is similarly either tinder -provided or is provided in spaces too constrained dimensionally. 2 .
computer programs were eliminated in order to add an engineering program (Project Lead the Way) to the curriculum. As
the engineering program expands, space to accommodate the new classes will be challenging in our current building and
will likely require supplanting other existing programming. Retrofitting spaces to accommodate our instructional needs has
resulted in classes being. held in inadequate, substandard areas. Examples include: a math class held in a tiered floor space
making flexible grouping impossible as well as creating obstacles for students with physical challenges; a physics classroom
in a corner of the building that divides the room into 2 attached spaces with poor sight lines between the 2 sections. Small
group reading instruction takes place in retrofitted inadequate and under -equipped office space. Some of the areas used
are in traffic patterns needed to reach other small group instructional areas. This creates a safety hazard. The gym is
undersized for the number of PE classes. At times 3 sections must be scheduled at the same time. There are times when
Victory Field can be used, however as it is located 1/3 mile from the building, instruction time is lost in walking and
students with disabilities face challenges. The choral and band programs are limited in numbers by lack of space. There is
no space for Drama and there is no small performance area. TV/Radio class is held at the Cable TV studio as there no
room for class instruction in the school proper. The Library is not configured nor structured to provide a digital
environment for 21st century Library/Media. The Wayshak FabLab is currently housed in the library as there was no other
space in the building. The only way to expand the FabLab will be to further encroach on the Library space. Without a
major technology upgrade, there will be inadequate bandwidth for electronic standardized testing such as PARCC and
MCAS 2.0. Due to its 80 yr architectural structure, it is difficult if not impossible to retrofit the building. AP testing must be
administered offsite due to space issues. The nurse's area has 2 treatment rooms with poor and non-existent sight lines for
monitoring students. There is 1 counseling room within the nurses suite which is a retrofitted closet. While the WHS
administration has been creative with the reconfiguration of space in the current facility, we are now at the point where lack
of space and outdated facility configuration is having a serious effect on our educational program.
From the Oudens Ello Archecture School Facilities Assessment, March 2014 report: "Incongruous with its attributes, the
High School's aging and outmoded facilities severely compromise its teaching mission. Most existing spaces are
shopworn, or of poor construction quality, inflexible and in many cases too small to handle increased enrollment (e.g.,
English and History classrooms that typically accommodate 20-21 students now handle between 28 and 29 students; a
classroom with tiered seating is inaccessible to handicapped students). A single elevator serves the entire High School
Massachusetts School Building Authoritv 15 Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertown High School
building. There are no conference spaces. There are very few small spaces for one-on-one / small group instruction, a
critical shortcoming given the high percentage of high needs learners (i.e., 48% of the student body are ELL, Special
Education and/or low income learners.)"
CORE EDUCATIONAL SPACES: Please provide a detailed description of the Core Educational Spaces within
the facility, a description of the number and sizes (in square feet) of classrooms, a description of science
rooms/labs including ages and most recent updates, a description of the cafeteria, gym and/or auditorium and a
description of the media center/library (maximum of 5000 characters).
ROOM TYPE SQ FT # ROOMS
Classrooms 58464 63
Sciences Rooms 2622 9
Labs 5182 6
Library 7367 1
Media Center 5012 1
Lecture Hall 13037 1
Total square footage in requested information: 91684
CAPACITY and UTILIZATION: Please provide a detailed description of the current capacity and utilization of
the school facility. If the school is overcrowded, please describe steps taken by the administration to address
capacity issues. Please also describe in detail any spaces that have been converted from their intended use to be
used as classroom space (maximum of 5000 characters).
Each WPS school is currently at or over capacity but the problem at the high school is the most serious as it faces the
serious challenge of reconciling an increasing demand for 44% high needs students with the a general lack of quality,
flexible classroom space and severe shortage of smaller spaces for specialized 1:1 and small group instruction. The current
space issues directly contribute to WPS not being able to deliver the best educational program for our students. Our
Special Education program is very constrained by the lack of space. There is no space available for OT services; office
spaces have been converted to resource classrooms, testing and counseling spaces and other small spaces ranging from
74-325 sq. ft. are used as counseling space. The Fine and Performing Arts program offerings have been reduced and are
seriously affected by lack of adequate space. The Drama program is limited by lack of set storage space and set
construction space with lighting storage only accessible by climbing through the onstage counterweight rigging system
creating an unsafe situation. Although a viable feeder program/class exists at the middle school, there are no classroom
small performance area, thereby limiting the drama program to after school. The Choral Program is limited by its lack of
physical space to approximately 25 students. It is not adjacent to performance space; it is adjacent to non -music
classrooms creating acoustical problems for non -music classes in the area. The Band program is limited by lack of physical
space approximately 50 students. Non-performance music classes are retrofitted into the performance rehearsal spaces.
Practice rooms are converted into single computer rooms, limiting individual rehearsal space. The Physical Education and
Health Program is very constrained by the undersized gymnasium. PE is a 4 year requirement and the number of classes
means that often there are 3 separate gym classes held in the gymnasium simultaneously. This can be relieved somewhat in
good weather by using Victory Field as another venue. This field is 1/3 mile walk in each direction leading to lost
instructional time and challenges for students with disabilities. There is no field space adjacent to the building. Due to lack
of space, the Career Technology Vocational Education (CTVE) program reduced class offerings in order to add an
Engineering Technology program. We must systematically increase our Engineering offerings per Project Lead tile. Way so
this will continue to impact existing programming due to lack of classroom space. The TV/Video/Radio production class
must meet in the Watertown Cable Access studio. Classrooms and laboratories for core academic programs are in serious
need of upgrading due to the fact that the dimensions and proportions of these spaces, as well as lack of provision for
wiring for technology upgrades, are effectively encoded into the physical structures of the building. We. are moving to a 1:1
Chromebooks program in FY17 so the technology needs are immediate and essential. Classroom sizes, while frequently
adequate purely in terms of square feet, are insufficient for contemporary pedagogical needs and objectives such as
Massachusetts School Building Authority 16 Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertown Hieh School,
allowing for a variety of teacher -student seating configurations which support teaching that is not based on lecture format.
Laboratory space is similarly either under -provided or is provided in spaces too constrained dimensionally. The English lab
has been converted to a staffed writing lab. The social studies lab is now serving as a classroom for 1/3 of the days, 2
days per cycle. Classrooms typically lack formal and informal capability for subdivision into smaller teaching spaces.
Smaller teaching, evaluation and counseling spaces in proximity to, but separate from, classrooms are lacking. Teacher
support spaces are lacking. Tire Lecture Hall is too small to bring in 2 classes at a time and the tiered seating creates
constraints for students with physical challenges: We cannot seat all students for lunch with only 3 lunch periods. There is
no room to establish a salad bar, and in lieu of that, only pre -made salads are currently provided. Serving lines are limited
by current set up. The deli bar is very popular but queuing lines are difficult due to the small serving area. Homemade
soups are among the options for staff but there is insufficient kitchen/serving capacity to offer the soups to students.
MAINTENANCE and CAPITAL REPAIR: Please provide a detailed description of the district's current
maintenance practices, its capital repair program, and the maintenance program in place at the facility that is the
subject of this SOI. Please include specific examples of capital repair projects undertaken in the past, including
any override or debt exclusion votes that were necessary (maximum of 5000 characters).
Watertown Public School employees perform maintenance and cleaning. WPS uses a web based work order program
that is the responsibility of the building senior custodian to ensure that work orders are requested. Each summer the
building undergoes a complete and thorough cleaning. This cleaning includes but is not limited to stripping and waxing of
floors, washing walls, extracting carpets, washing furniture and white board, etc. The facility is part of the ESCO contract
that the City of Watertown has entered into with Johnson Controls. This contract is a major expenditure for the purpose of
higher efficiency and less energy consumption. The building is also included in the Watertown Capital Improvement Plan.
This is an ongoing building improvement plan with a five-year outlay. Some examples of recent capital improvements to the
high school are, ESCO energy upgrades, and ongoing furniture replacement.
Mascarhncetts Rchnnl Building Authority 17 Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertown High School
Priority 2
Question I: Please descr the the existing conditions that constitute severe overcrowding.
We camrot seat all students for lunch with only 3 lunches. Note that this is insufficient, for our current population of —708
students (3 x 204 = 612). Students stand near counters, and sit under the stairwell. In good weather, students can eat in the
courtyard. Some seniors are able to leave the building due to senior privilege. We bring in extra chairs to squeeze around tables.
Need additional seating capacity.
The kitchen is at capacity in terms of equipment for cooking. There is no room to establish a salad bar, and in lieu of that, only
pre -made salads are currently provided.
Serving lines are limited by current set up. The deli bar is very popular, but queuing lines are difficult due to the small serving
area. Homemade soups are among the options for staff, but there is insufficient kitchen/serving capacity to offer the soups to
students. Expansion of the kitchen/serving areas to allow students to access various stations with better queuing space would
make choosing to buy a healthy school lunch more desirable to students, serving those lunches more efficient and would increase
the capacity for serving additional students
Lecture Hall undersized. Cannot hold all of the current staff for a meeting. As a classroom space, it is too small to accommodate
more than 1 class at a time. The auditorium is oversized for either of these purposes. Also, tiered seating reduces or eliminates
access for students with physical challenges.
Addition of a new CVTE engineering program required the elimination of another program, Computer Repair, due to lack of
space.
TV/Video/Radio production class does not fit in current building. Must hold class in Watertown Community Access TV Center,
Gymnasium undersized for the number of Physical Education classes,4 years are required for all students. At times, 3 separate
PE classes. are held in the gymnasium simultaneously. This can be relieved somewhat in good weather by using Victory Field as
another venue. However, the field is a'/a mile walk in each direction leading to lost instructional time creates challenges for those
students with physical disabilities. There is no field space adjacent to the building.
All but one meeting space in the building has been converted to classroom space. High needs population is currently at 48%
leading to the need for a high number of meetings about students which require confidential settings. Also, the need for
counseling has increased in both the general and special education populations due to the Watertown shootings following the
Boston Marathon bombings.
Drama program is limited by lack of set storage space and set construction space. Lighting storage is only accessible by
climbing through the onstage counterweight rigging system.
No classroom for drama class and no small performance area thereby effectively eliminating drama classes though there is a
feeder program/class at the middle school.
Choral Program is limited by its lack of physical space to approximately 25 students. It is adjacent to non -music classrooms
making collaboration impossible and creating acoustical problems for non -music classes in the area. It is also non -adjacent to a
performance space.
Non-performance music classes are retrofitted into the performance rehearsal spaces. Practice rooms are converted into single
computer rooms, limiting individual rehearsal space.
Name of School Watertown High -School
Band Program is limited by lack of physical space to approximately 50 students.
We offer a Life Skills program for significantly challenged young adults 18-22 (LEAP). We are unable to provide a fully
effective range of life skills training for these students due to lack of space to house a kitchen, washer/dryer, etc. We have
moved this program to the Administrative Building which is not ideal since is separates these students from the general
student population.
Massachusetts School Building Authority 19 Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertown High School
Priority 2
Question 2: Please describe the measures the School District has taken to mitigate the problena(s) described above.
A. Students stand at counters; sit under the staircase, we squeeze in extra chairs; use the courtyard in good
weather; some seniors with senior privilege leave the building. Many of these measures provide crowding,
which makes exits for emergency reasons more difficult and unsafe. We make pre -made boxed salads due to
lack of room for a salad bar. Students are unable to choose a soup option.
B. At faculty teacher only meetings, we squeeze two rows of extra chairs in the Lecture Hall. This causes an
unsafe situation for egress in case of emergency. For 'all staff meetings, we use auditorium for lack of a better
alternative. This space is oversized for this purpose and limits the intimacy of interaction since a microphone
must be used. We hold "all staff' meetings following critical incidents, when open and intimate conversation is
essential to reentry, recovery and processing. The auditorium also is not conducive to small group interactions
because of the inflexibility of seating.
C. We had to eliminate a course in order to add Engineering. In order to remain a member of Project Lead
the Way, we must systematically add additional PLTW courses. This will exacerbate space limitations.
D. We share the space and equipment in the WCAC cable studio.
E. Effort is made to minimize the times that 3 classes must meet in the gym simultaneously but this cannot be
totally avoided. We use a divider curtain to create two major classrooms. We use the run off end of the gym for
Project Adventure activities. We also use the Fitness center as a teaching spice. In good weather, we can use
Victory Field. However this is a 1/3 mile walls each way and reduces class time, which is already shortened with
the need to change clothes at the beginning and end of class, as well as creating challenges for those students
with physical disabilities.
F. We have to close down the Career Center when 2 meetings need to take place simultaneously or hold
meetings in the Administrative Building when no other alternative exists.
G. We limit the amount of sets and staging to a bare minimum, which stifles creativity. We have not identified
any solution to the need to store lighting behind the counterweight rigging which is an unsafe situation.
H. We are unable to offer a drama class during the school day. Thus drama is only an after -school activity,
limited to 2 productions per year.
I. Chorus rehearses in the hallways and lobby. This creates acoustical problems for non -music classes in the
area. Class size is still limited by the physical space of the Chorus Room since the hallway and lobby are not
always available for rehearsal, and are not appropriate for instruction.
J. We make the band room and practice roans do double duty since there is no alternative space. This is
inadequate and limits the growth of the programs.
K. We have no alternative solutions for band classes due to the volume of sound that they produce.
L. The Life Skills program for significantly challenged young adults has been moved out of the building across
a busy street to the Administrative Building. This solution also separates these students from the general
student population.
Name of School.
Priority 2
Question 3: Please provide a detailed explanation of the impact of the problem described in this priorty on your
district's educational progaan. Please include specific examples of how the problem prevents the district front
delivering the educational prograa it is required to deliver and how students andlor teachers are directly affected
by the problem identified.
In all of our schools space is at a premium. Each school is currently at or beyond capacity using retrofitted spaces where
possible. The problem at the high school is the most serious as it faces the serious challenge of reconciling an increasing demand
for special high needs students (48%) with the a general lack of quality, flexible classroom space and severe shortage of smaller
spaces for specialized 1:1 and small group instruction. The current space issues directly contribute not being able to deliver the
best educational program for our students. Our Special Education program is very constrained by the lack of space. There is no
space available for OT services, 3 office spaces converted to resource classrooms, 3 small offices ranging from 147-172 sq. ft.
are used for testing and counseling and 3 spaces ranging from 74-325 sq. ft. are used as counseling space. Fine and Performing
Arts programs are seriously affected by lack of adequate space. For example, we unable to offer a Drama program during the
school day due to lack of space. Although there is a viable feeder program/class that exists at the middle school, there is
classroom space available during the school day and no small performance area thereby limiting the drama program to an after
school activity rather than a comprehensive curriculum offering. The Choral Program is limited by the lack of physical space to
approximately 25 students. It is not adjacent to performance space; it is adjacent to non -music classrooms creating acoustical
problems for non -music classes in the area. The Band program is limited by lack of physical space approximately to 50 students.
Non-performance music classes are retrofitted into the performance rehearsal spaces. Practice rooms are converted into single
computer rooms, limiting individual rehearsal space. The Physical Education and Health Program is very constrained by the
undersized gymnasium. PE is a 4 year requirement and the number of classes means that often there are 3 separate gym classes
held in the gymnasium simultaneously. This can be relieved somewhat in good weather by using Victory Field as another venue.
This field is 1/3 mile walk in each direction leading to lost instructional time and challenges for students with disabilities. There is
no field space adjacent to the building. Due to lack of space, the Career Technology Vocational Education (CTVE) program
reduced class offerings in order to add an Engineering Technology program. We must systematically increase our Engineering
offerings per Project Lead the Way so this will continue to impact existing programming due to lack of classroom space. The
TV/Video/Radio production class must meet in the Watertown Cable Access studio. Classrooms and laboratories for core
academic programs are in serious need of upgrading due to the fact that the dimensions and proportions of these spaces, as well
as lack of provision for wiring for technology upgrades, are effectively encoded into the physical structures of the building. We
are moving to a 1:1 Chromebooks program in FY17 so the technology needs are immediate and essential. Classroom sizes,
while frequently adequate purely in terms of square feet, are insufficient for contemporary pedagogical needs and objectives such
as allowing for a variety of teacher -student seating configurations which support teaching that is not based on lecture format.
Laboratory space is similarly either under -provided or is provided in spaces too constrained dimensionally. Tire English lab has
been converted to a staffed writing lab. The social studies lab is now serving as a classroom for 1/3 of the days, 2 days per
cycle. Classrooms typically lack formal and informal capability for subdivision into smaller teaching spaces. Smaller teaching,
evaluation and counseling spaces in proximity to, but separate from, classrooms are lacking. Teacher support spaces are lacking.
We cannot seat all students for lunch with only 3 lunches. There is no room to establish a salad bar, and in lieu of that, only pre -
made salads are currently provided. Serving lines are limited by current set up. The deli bar is very popular but queuing lines are
difficult due to the small serving area. Homemade soups are among the options for staff but there is insufficient kitchen/serving
capacity to offer the soups to students. The lecture hall is too small to accommodate 2 classes at one time or all current staff for
a meeting. It also presents physical challenges because of the tiered seating.
Please also provide the following:
Massachusetts School Building Authority 21 Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertown HiRh School
Cafeteria Seating Capacity: 204
umber of lunch seatings per day: 3
Are modular units currently present on -site and being used for classroom space?: NO
If "YES", indicate the number of years that the modular units have been in use:
Number of Modular Units:
Classroom count in Modular Units:
Seating Capacity of Modular classrooms:
What was the original anticipated useful life in years of the modular writs when they were installed?:
Pave non-traditional classroom spaces been converted to be used for classroom space?: YES
1f "YES", indicate the number of non-traditional classroom spaces in use: 23
Please provide a description of each non-traditional classroom space, its originally -intended use and how it is
currently used (maximum of 1000 characters).:
S Computer Lab to regular classroom
Faculty room to IDS Commons
Conference room to Academic Support classroom
Tiered science lecture space to math classroom
Guidance Conference Room to Career Counseling Center
1st floor classroom to a Wrestling room
1st floor classroom to Robotics Lab
Library Office area to Community Ed Office area
Classroom being used as a science lab (no water in room for wet labs)
Faculty Room to Math Lab
Electrical program eliminated and classroom to Tech Services
Automotive program eliminated and classroom large equipment storage
3 office spaces to resource classrooms
3 small offices (147-172 sq. ft.) to testing/counseling
3 spaces (74-325 sq. ft.) to counseling space.
2 rooms moved to Central office for 18-22 year old Special Education program
Assessments and AP testing moved to Central Office
Please explain any recent changes to the district's educational program, school assignment polices, grade
configurations, class size policy, school closures, changes in administrative space, or any other changes that impact
he district's enrollment capacity (maximum of 5000 characters).:
At the high school, 23 non-traditional classroom spaces have been converted to be used as classroom/ counseling/ small
group instruction spaces. We have not reconfigured grade configurations at this point. At the high school space is shared
with the town's cable television studio. In order to offer engineering we had to drop another course. Guidance conference
room space historically used for parent/student meetings has been eliminated so that we could provide a Career Center
for our students. Many meetings need to be held off -site at the Administrative Offices as a remedy for reconfiguring this
space. All other school buildings are at capacity and using spaces in non-traditional ways in order to meet our educational
priorities.
What are the district's current class size policies (maximum of 500 characters)?:
While we do not have an official class size policy in Watertown, we try to keep high school College Prep in the low 20s,
with Honors and AP classes being larger. We attempt to keep middle school classes in the mid 20s. At the elementary
level, in grades 3-5 classes are in the 20s and below 20 in grades pre-K- 2, although we are not always able to achieve
those levels. Using "average class size" is misleading as our special education classes are usually very small, thereby
skewing the average.
lT---.----,.a.- A...1.--.... �1 Clnfomn..i..F Tnf—f
Name of School Watertown High School
Priority 4
Q,nestion I: Please descHbe the conditions within the community and School District that are expected to result
in increased enrollment.
Because of its proximity to urban areas and access to public transportation and highways, Watertown is a very desirable
community in which to live and has recently seen unprecedented residential development. Three large-scale residential
apartment and condo communities have been built and another is in process. The 3 completed developments
constructed in one of our three elementary school districts is putting intense pressure on that school's already
overcrowded facility. The developments in process are projected to increase enrollment in another elementary school
beyond its capacity. In addition, development of multi -family housing from existing single-family stock is ongoing and
expanding. Since 2000, enrollment has increased steadily (see below) and we project significant enrollment increases
due to the current and planned development in Watertown. Redistricting at the elementary level in not an option, as all
elementary schools are beyond capacity. For example, in one elementary school one class of fourth grades move
between three spaces for classroom instruction. The classroom teacher uses a large movable cart to carry classroom
materials from place to place. Currently all elementary schools as well as the high school are beyond capacity. The class
numbers at the elementary schools are larger than the current middle school classes, thus we expect the middle school to
be at capacity within the next two years.
The information on enrollment given below is a projection of students currently enrolled. These numbers exceed the projected
enrollment expected using the typical birth-rate model, which does not take new housing into consideration. We are currently
conducting an additional student projection study that includes the impact of the new housing stock on school enrollment. This
study will be provided as additional information to this SOI.
Watertown 48% of Watertown's student population is classified as "high needs" We are mandated by the Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education to provide small group instruction to these students, which requires additional learning
spaces. Many of these students require small group instruction, therefore creating the need for smaller spaces.
The SOI for the high school has the potential to address the space needs for the district if the current configuration of grades, 9-
12 high school, 6-8 middle school grades the preK — 5 elementary schools changes to, 8-12 high school, 5-7 middle school
grades the preK — 4 elementary schools.
HIGH SCHOOL ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS using current students*.
2015.2016:705,2016-2017:708,2017-2018:742,2018-2019:742,2019-2020:758,2020-2021:785
*Additional information will be provided to the MSBA upon the completion of the Enrollment student projection
study that includes the impact of the new housing stock on school enrollment.
01 .3T,,f ,v t
Name of School Watertown High -School
Priority 4
Question 2: Please describe the measures the School District has taken or is planning to take in the immediate
f anre to nzitigate the problems) described above.
Watertown Public Schools has utilized all available spaces in its facilities to mitigate the overcrowding experienced at all the
district schools. Office and other non -instructional spaces have been reconfigured as much as possible and repurposed to
instructional space. At this time, even those spaces are now utilized to their maximum effect and there are no more spaces to be
repurposed. WPS administration has met, and continues to meet, on a regular basis with the Building & Grounds Subcommittee
of the School Committee to explore all options. Suggestions have been made to explore the use of modular classrooms.
However, due to the lack of space around the buildings, these classrooms can only be used to a limited degree. Alternative
spaces in the Administrative Building are being used for assessment and testing, and an expansion of the state -mandated
integrated preschool and a special education program for 18-22 year old students. The District has also commissioned a
second study of enrollment projections. This study will include an examination of the impact of the new housing stock on school
enrollment. We are hopeful that the success of our SOI will help alleviate overcrowding at the elementary level, by a
reconfiguration of grades within the buildings: the 3 elementary schools will house grades PreK-4, the middle school will house
grades 5-7 and the high school will house grades 8-12 in an expanded facility.
Name of School Watertown High School
Priority 4
Question 3: Please provide a detailed explanation of the impact of the problem described in this priority on your
district's educational program. Please include specific examples of how the problem prevents the district from
delivering the educationalprograrn it is required to deliver and how students and/or teachers are directly affected
by the problem identified.
WHS faces serious and significant challenges in supporting a 215t century education and reconciling an increasing demand for
special high needs students (48%) with the a general lack of quality, flexible classroom space and severe shortage of smaller
spaces for specialized 1:1 and small group instruction. Classrooms sizes are insufficient for contemporary pedagogical needs and
objectives. Varieties of teacher -student seating configurations supporting learning that is not lecture -based are impossible. Our
Special Education program is very constrained by the lack of space. A Life Skills program for 18-22 year old students was
moved to the Administrative Building which separates these students from their peers, there is no space available for OT
services, 3 office spaces converted to resource classrooms, 3 other offices ranging are used for testing and counseling resulting
in distraction and confidentiality challenges and 3 spaces ranging are used as counseling space resulting in the same confidentiality
challenges. Assessments and AP testing have been moved to the Administrative Building. The Fine and Performing program has
had reductions in offerings and must use acoustically challenged and challenging nontraditional spaces next to non-musical
classrooms for instruction and practice. Multiple Physical Education classes must meet in the gymnasium with relief only in
favorable weather when students walk 1/3 mile to Victory Field for class. This results in loss of instructional time as well as
presents challenges for students with special needs. The Career Technology Vocational Education program has reduced class
offerings in order to add an Engineering Technology program mandated by Project Lead the Way. The TV/Video/Radio
production class must meet in the Watertown Cable Access studio. Classrooms and laboratories for core academic programs
are in serious need of upgrading due to the fact that the dimensions and proportions of these spaces, as well as lack of provision
for wiring for technology upgrades, are effectively encoded into the physical structures of the building making our 1:1
Chromebook Initiative seriously challenging. Laboratory space is either under -provided or is provided in spaces too constrained
dimensionally. The English and Social Studies labs have been converted to other uses either fill or part time. Smaller teaching,
evaluation and counseling spaces in proximity to, but separate from, classrooms are lacking as are teacher support spaces.
Please also provide the following:
Cafeteria Seating Capacity: 204
umber of lurch seatings per day: 3
Are modular units currently present on -site and being used for classroom space?: NO
If "YES", indicate the number of years that the modular units have been in use:
Number of Modular Units:
Classroom count in Modular Units:
Seating Capacity of Modular classrooms:
What was the original anticipated useful life in years of the modular units when they were installed?:
Pave non-traditional classroom spaces been converted to be used for classroom space?: YES
If "YES", indicate the number of non-traditional classroom spaces in use: 23
Please provide a description of each non-traditional classroor space, its originally -intended use and how it is
currently used (maximum of 1000 characters).:
Massachusetts School Building Authority 25 Statement of Interest
Name ofSelmol Watertoom Hieh School
S Computer Lab to regular classroom
Faculty room to IDS Commons
Conference room to Academic Support classroom
Tiered science lecture space to math classroom
Guidance Conference Room to Career Counseling Center
1st floor classroom to a Wrestling room
1st floor classroom to Robotics Lab
Library Office area to Community Ed Office area
Classroom being used as a science lab (no water in room for wet labs)
Faculty Room to Math Lab
Electrical program eliminated and classroom to Tech Services
Automotive program eliminated and classroom large equipment storage
3 office spaces to resource classrooms
3 small offices (147-172 sq. ft.) to testing/counseling
3 spaces (74-325 sq. ft.) to counseling space.
2 rooms moved to Central office for 18-22 year old Special Education program
Assessments ana AV testing movea to t-emrat vrrtce
tse explain any recent changes to the district's educational program, school assignment polices, grade
Figurations, class size policy, school closures, changes in administrative space, or any other changes that impact
district's enrollment capacity (maximum of 5000 characters). :
At the high school, 23 non-traditional classroom spaces have been converted to be used as classroom/ counseling/ small
group instruction spaces. We have not reconfigured grade configurations at this point. At the high school space is shared
with the town's cable television studio. In order to offer engineering we had to drop another course. Guidance conference
room space historically used for parent/student meetings has been eliminated so that we could provide a Career Center
for our students. Many meetings need to be held off -site at the Administrative Offices as a remedy for reconfiguring this
space. All other school buildings are at capacity and using spaces in non-traditional ways in order to meet our educational
What are the district's current class size policies (maximum of 500 characters)?:
While we do not have an official class size policy in Watertown, we try to keep high school College Prep in the low 20s,
with Honors and AP classes being larger. We attempt to keep middle school classes in the mid 20s. At the elementary
level, in grades 3-5 classes are in the 20s and below 20 in grades pre-K- 2, although we are not always able to achieve
those levels. Using "average class size" is misleading as our special education classes are usually very small, thereby
skewing the average.
I . .. n,.., -_,,._._..,___- O< @..L.... e.....0 T........I
Name of School Watertoom High School
Priority 5
Question I: Please provide a detailed description of the issues surrounding the school facility systems (e.g., roof,
windows, boilers, HVAC system, andlor electrical setvice and distribution system) that you are indicating require
repair or replacement. Please describe all deficiencies to all systems in sufficient detail to explain the problem.
o Four construction phases 1929, 1950 (2 story addition in NE and SE corners), 1979 (addition at
south elevation and auto shop in NE ) and 2004 (cafeteria and entire low slope building roof
replacement)
o Overview of budget constraints and reduction in maintenance department have led to the system
being repaired only in emergency situations
o HS kitchen limited due to space for the number of students being served
o HVAC-a DDC system was added to a HVAC which is barely functioning, compounding occupancy
issues within the school.
o Univents malfunctioning, rusted -squirrel cages, poor maintenance, all utuvents need to be replaced
o Plumbing issues -lines have rotted within walls, original pipes from initial construction phases
o Boiler room issues- 2001 boiler install, all crawl space piping is original with the buildings initial
construction and in need of replacement.
o Hot water heaters, 16 years old, should be nearing the end of their operational cycle,
o Condensate boiler feed is in need of immediate repair, currently leaking on a continual basis.
o Electrical panel in the boiler room a safety concern, bus system exposed. Needs to be upgraded
o HVAC systems arc not on generator, school is designated a shelter.
o Fire alarm system, addressable system with no voice communication, smoke detector coverage
o Fire protection, sprinklers in wood shop and science labs, remainder of school grandfathered
o Ejector pump concerns -lower level fitness center, floats are constantly in need of repair. Sewage on
occasion has backed up into the building
o Water leakage at louvers and leaks are dependent upon the wind direction.
o Filing motor joints, exterior walls in notable areas of distress. Entire exterior envelope should be
inspected, cleaned and repointed
Name of School Watertown High School
a Localized peeling paint, varies throughout the building
o Door/hardware issues. The hardware on all doors, with the exception of some exterior replacements
is from initial construction. Lock sets cannot be repaired or replaced.
o Exterior walls are weathered, efflorescence exists, and there are visible cracks. Extensive repairs are
necessary
o Cracks in foundation
o Window wall system failing -numerous locations -window glazing is failing. Seals are failing.
Windows should be replaced.
a Roof and uninvent leaks leading to ceiling staining or damaged, missing ceiling tiles, stained ceilings
a Generator issues/concerns-diesel generator -underground storage issue (2001), vendors will not
deliver fuel due to the condition of the tank.
a Walkways, exterior stairs, entrance, handicap ramps, are all deteriorating and in poor condition.
Massachusetts school Building Authority 28 Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertown High School
Priority 5
Question 2: Please describe the measures the district has ah•eady taken to mitigate the ProblemJissues described in
Question 1 above.
Large scale maintenance and upgrades of school department facilities is supported through the city's capital maintenance plan.
This five year plan is updated each year with significant input from the school department and is prioritized for critical projects.
For example, several floors were replaced at the middle school and replacement windows for a significant portion of the middle
school is currently planned.
Reduced funding in the maintenance department over the past five years has resulted in only the most critical needs being
addressed throughout the district. However, over the last two years budget increases have allowed WPS to better fund overall
maintenance needs. Though all safety issues are addressed immediately, other maintenance issues are still addressed as they
become critical. These constitute situations such as water leaks, ceilings falling and walls being compromised. VMS is built
over an active sewer line which at times can back up and has the possibility of creating serious health issues. While preventive
maintenance is completed on a regular schedule, the age of the building creates more issues than can be addressed through this
preventive maintenance schedule. For example, there was damage due to a burst pipe in the science lab area. Though the labs
were rebuilt and brought to current standards, they were not available for 2 years due to infrastructure problems that required
significant code updates before the rooms could be occupied.
Trf.... �....6....=w.. 0.1.....1 R•dld{..r. dnlh..dt.r 90 n9 Tntrmet
Name of School Watertown High School
Priority 5
Question 3: Please provide a detailed explanation of the impact of the problemlissues described in Question I
above on your dish•ict's educational program. Please include specific examples of how the problem prevents the
district from delivering the educationalprogram it is required to deliver and how students artdlor teachers are
directly affected by the problem identified.
The aging infrastructure and structural design compromises the delivery of a quality 215Y century education. Wiring is inflexible
and unable to be effectively upgraded for current technology because a lack of provision for wiring for technology upgrades is
effectively encoded into the physical structures of the building. )MS has a 1:1 Chromebook Initiative which is challenging to
implement because of this impediment and makes the need to upgrade immediate and essential. Without a major upgrade, we
will not be prepared for the day when standardized testing (such as PARCC and MCAS 2.0) requires electronic testing as Nye
have inadequate bandwidth in the building and difficulty retrofitting the building due to its 100 year old architectural structure.
Also, the addition of connected devices degrades response time significantly.
Classrooms and laboratories are in serious need of upgrading due to the fact that the dimensions and proportions (length to
width) of these spaces, as well as lack of provision for wiring for technology upgrades, are also encoded into the physical
structures of the building. Classroom sizes, while frequently adequate purely in terms of square feet, are insufficient for
contemporary pedagogical needs and objectives such as a variety of teacher -student seating configurations supporting teaching
that is not based on lecture format. Laboratory space is similarly either under -provided or is provided in spaces too constrained
dimensionally. The English lab has been converted to a staffed writing lab. The social studies lab is now serving as a classroom
for 1/3 of the days, 2 days per cycle.
Classrooms typically lack formal and informal capability for subdivision into smaller teaching spaces. Smaller teaching, evaluation
and counseling spaces in proximity to, but separate from, classrooms are lacking. Teacher support spaces are lacking.
a -----1....,.u- ea_: n,.a a:..,. n...:....:... an Qf.f .,...t..f T'fPm f
Name of School Watertown High School
Priority 5
Question 4. Please describe how addressing the school facility systems you identified in Question I above will
extend the useful life of the facility that is the subject of this SOI and how it will improve your dish•ict's
educationalprogram.
With its 80 year old architectural structure, Watertown High School has significant impediments to upgrades which would make
it a viable school for providing a 21st century education to the students of Watertown. Suggestions from the Schools Facilities
Assessment conducted in 2014, are being implemented but will not totally mitigate the constraints of the building. Outdated labs,
too small and inadequately configured classrooms, lack of space for 1:1 and small group instruction, lack of classrooms for
comprehensive programming, lack of adequate assessment a:ld testing space are some of the issues that cannot be rectified. A
major renovation and/or replacement project is the only way to remedy the core infrastructure constraints with this facility.
Please also provide the following:
aye the systems identified above been examined by an engineer or other trained building professional?:
YES
, 11 , please provide the name of the individual and his/her professional affiliation (maximum of 250
if am,
characters):
SCHOOL FACILITIES ASSESSMENT
PRELIMINARY QUALITATIVE EVALUATION DOCUMENT
March 13, 2014
Prepared By:
Oudens Ello Architecture, LLC
46 Waltham Street, Suite 210
Boston, MA 02118
T. 617.422.0980
The date of the inspection: 3/13/2014
A summary of the findings (maximum of 5000 characters):
Full document of the Oudens Ello SCHOOL FACILITIES ASSESSMENT
PRELIMINARY QUALITATIVE EVALUATION DOCUMENT is on file with the MSBA.
—1- 1 1---. o --iI!— - ^--mot —. Q, C{n{n...,...a —. T..... 1
Name of School Watertovm High School
Priority 7
Question 1: Please provide a detailed description of the programs not currently available due to facility
consh•ainfs, the state or local requirement for such programs, and the facility limitations precluding the programs
front being offered.
WPS supports an educational vision which has Five Essential Components: 1) A Safe and Caring School Environment,
2) Reasonable Class Sizes and Time -On Learning 3) A Wide Range of curricular Opportunities 4) Tiered Instruction for
all learners and S) Systems of Support. All of these essential components of our educational vision are compromised by
our current high school facility because the facility cannot support the fundamental tenets of our vision and goals due to
its construction, size, age, and layout of spaces per the needs of our unique student body of which 48% are categorized
as high needs.
Watertown High School's aging and outmoded facilities severely compromise its teaching mission. Most existing spaces
are shopworn, or of poor construction quality, inflexible and in many cases too small to handle increased enrollment
(e.g., English and History classrooms that typically accommodate 20-21 students now handle between 28 and 29
students; and in some cases the classrooms have tiered seating making them inaccessible to handicapped students). A
single elevator serves the entire High School building. There is only one conference space. Watertown High School
faces the serious challenge of reconciling a growing enrollment and increasing demands for special high needs students
with the a general lack of quality, flexible classroom space and severe shortage of smaller spaces for specialized one-on-
one and small group instruction: a critical shortcoming given the high percentage of high needs learners (i.e., 48% of the
student body are ELL, Special Education and/or low income learners).
In terms of current best or good practices for education facilities design, Watertown High School looks and feels dated,
fired and shopworn internally.
The science laboratories are small and they are inadequately equipped. The department and the district have done their
best to address this insufficiency by applying for various equipment and technology grants. Science is a discipline
whereby students learn best through laboratory experimentation and hands on activities. Due to the small size of our
science labs and the large numbers of students that we move through our science classes there is less opportunity for
each individual student to personally engage in those activities, since it is necessary in almost all cases, to share lab
stations with another student. Contributing to this is spaces never intended for lab rise have been retrofitted to become
science and math labs. A mathematics classroom, for instance, has a tiered floor, making flexible grouping all but
impossible and presents challenges for students with disabilities. A physics classroom is in a corner that essentially
divides the room into two attached spaces with poor sight lines between the two pieces of the room.
Watertown High School takes pride in offering many specialized instructional programs for students with learning
challenges and needs. We believe that keeping students in their hometown high school is not only less expensive than
utilizing special education outplacements, but is also in many of our students' best interest in terms of their sense of
community, opportunity to be included in activities and clubs and also an easy transition to less intensive programming as
the students gain skills and strategies for inclusion into the mainstream classrooms for even part of their day. We lack the
ability to adequately site those programs throughout the building. In one case a larger classroom is "divided in half' by
use of a divider wall of filing cabinets.
Name of School Watertown High School -
We offer a Life Skills program for significantly challenged young adults 18-22 (LEAP). We are unable to provide a fully
effective range of life skills training for these students due to lack of space to house a kitchen, washer/dryer, etc.
Watertown High School has a vibrant, but small choral music program of only about 25 students. The choral room could
not reasonably hold more than this number of students, even though a music program can gain a critical mass and make
most effective use of their curriculum opportunities with larger numbers of students. The chorus can sometimes be found
practicing in hallways or the lobby due to the inadequate space of the chorus room.
There are several important special educational programs which have been uniquely tailored to our student population at
the elementary level and as these students move through the schools, there are no appropriate places/spaces to receive
these students in the high school. At this point in time, many Special Education classrooms at the high school are
designated to the basemem/ground level which renders little pride of place and are inadequately sized for flexibility of use
or need for students that fall into the categories of: Specific Learning, Health, Communication, Intellectual, Neurological,
Emotional, Autism, Developmentally Disabled, Multiple Disabilities, Physical, Sensory: Vision, Hearing and Deaf -Blind.
A good number of our students receive counseling as part of their educational program. Our counseling spaces are
inadequate and perhaps some of the most tired and dreary of any spaces in the building. The counseling space in the
nurse's area has the appearance of a retrofitted closet. The main counseling area has inadequate counseling office spaces
adjoined by a common room. These arrangements provide some of the least comfortable spaces in the building, and
they are used by students with some of the greatest needs.
We have no room in the building for additional computer lab space for use with whole class instruction or testing.
Without a major upgrade, we will be inadequately prepared for the day that standardized testing (such as PARCC)
requires electronic testing. In addition to this concern, there is inadequate bandwidth in the building and difficulty
retrofitting the building, due to its 100 year old architectural structure, walls, etc.
Conferencing space is quite limited. We have a high percentage of our students on IEP's (23%) and thus have many
team meetings that need to be held to manage the special education students' educational programs in accordance with
all special education rules and regulations. It is very difficult to find confidential and adequate space for these meetings in
the building. This also impacts counseling sessions.
Testing space is also limited. Advanced Placement testing has to take place in another building altogether (currently at
the Central Office). Testing for individual students to determine their needs and disabilities takes place in the
aforementioned inadequate counseling spaces.
Name of School Watertown High School -
Although the Library is a reasonably sized space, it is not equipped, configured nor structured to provide the appropriate
digital environment for a 21st century Library/Media center. A section of the library has been taken for the additional of
a Fab Lab thus reducing library space and materials. Additional space will be required as the Fab Lab is enlarged
systematically.
The nurse's suite is inadequate in size and office area. It has two treatment rooms with poor sight lines for monitoring
students. There is one counseling room within the suite, which as mentioned previously, appears as if it is a retrofitted
closet.
Watertown High School has a vibrant Robotics club, which could easily be supported by the engineering design/robotics
class during the school day. However, the Robotics lab has very limited area for instruction, as the area is almost entirely
dedicated to construction and parts storage. We need an additional classroom space in order to expand the
robotics/engineering program to become part of the credit -bearing, daytime instructional opportunity for students.
We do not have any specialized space for enriching electives such as Drama. We would not be able to schedule such a
class in the auditorium since the auditorium is frequently used for other purposes.
Watertown High School generally lacks suitable key spaces to meet our contemporary education mission, inclusive of
access to daylight and high -quality outdoor space. The delivery of Physical Education instruction, for example, is
hampered by the fact that building is landlocked with virtually no green space. The town has field space which may be
used for physical education instruction, but it is remote to the building. The several block walk reduces the amount of
class time. Remaining in the gymnasium for Physical Education instruction significantly restricts the variety and types of
engaging activities for students and limits the ability to offer a variety of lifelong fitness activities. Athletics and intramural
programs are limited by the lack of both outdoor and indoor athletic spaces. Many intramural programs may not run at
all since the school has to share town fields with the middle school and the recreation department for practices and
games. The lack of open green space adjacent to the school building limits the types of physical and social outdoor
activities and experiences that can often be among the most enriching and memorable for students of their school days.
The remote location of Victory Field was raised by many to be the single greatest deficiency at the High School.
Massachusetts School Buildin¢ Authority 34 Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertown High School -
Priority %
Question 2: Please describe the measures the district has takers or is planning to take in the inunediate future to
mitigate the problenz(s) described above.
Watertown High School's aging and outmoded facilities severely compromise its teaching mission. Most existing spaces
are shopworn, or of poor construction quality, inflexible and in many cases too small to handle increased enrollment
(e.g., English and History classrooms that typically accommodate 20-21 students now handle between 28 and 29
students; and in some cases the classrooms have tiered seating making them inaccessible to handicapped students). A
single elevator serves the entire High School building. There is only one conference space. Watertown High School
faces the serious challenge of reconciling a growing enrollment and increasing demands for special high needs students
with the a general lack of quality, flexible classroom space and severe shortage of smaller spaces for specialized one-on-
one and small group instruction: a critical shortcoming given the high percentage of high needs learners (i.e., 48% of the
student body are ELL, Special Education and/or low income learners).
We accessed insurance funding to restore two science classrooms/labs that were destroyed by a burst pipe in the
2012/2013 school year. Unfortunately the expense of this restoration was exacerbated by uncovering all outdated
and/or out of code systems beneath the floors and in the walls and ceilings. We used grant funding to update the
technology in these rooms. This only addresses some of the needs of these two rooms and does not address the
inadequate size of, or limited number of lab stations in the remaining science classrooms. These 2 classrooms are now
complete and unfortunately had the unintended consequence of highlighting the inadequacies of the remaining science
labs.
Specialized program space is currently shoe -horned in wherever such space can possibly accommodate chairs and
tables. These spaces serve as a classroom, but are not configured for the specialized programming that is delivered in
them. The problem is structural in nature, so we are unable to address this situation in a meaningful way. Small Group
Reading instruction takes place in retrofitted office/conference space, which is inadequate and under -equipped. Some of
the instructional spaces are in a traffic pattern to reach other small group instructional areas. The Life Skills program for
significantly challenged young adults 18-22 currently shares use of kitchen equipment with the culinary classes as it is
may be available and not already in use.
The English computer lab was redesigned as a Writing center (staffed).
The choral program is limited by the size of the room, which is unchangeable. Students practice in the hallway area and
the lobby in order to find more space for practice, but this does not increase the number of students that can fit into the
class.
Name of School Watertown High School
We currently would be unable to accommodate mandated online testing unless given a very large window of time to
accomplish it. We utilize space in other buildings for some testing. We make do in the inadequate counseling areas for
specialized needs testing
There is little remedy to the landlocked situation. In good weather, students will walk the several blocks to the town field
space. However, this cuts into class time, which is already somewhat reduced by the need to change clothing in order to
participate in Physical Education. Many intramural opportunities do not exist since, the school has to share town fields
with the middle school and the recreation department for practices and games.
Massachusetts School Building Authority 36 Statement of Interest
Name of School Watertown High School ----
Priority
Question 3: Please provide a det{tiled explanation of the impact of the problem described in this priority on your
district's educational program. Please include speck examples of how the problem prevents the district fi•oaz
delivering the educational program it is required to deliver and how students andlor teachers are directly affected
by the problem identified.
Watertown High School takes pride in offering many specialized instructional programs for students with learning
challenges and needs. We believe that keeping students in their hometown high school is not only less expensive than
utilizing special education outplacements, but is also in many of our students' best interest in terms of their sense of
community, opportunity to be included in activities and clubs and also an easy transition to less intensive programming as
the students gain skills and strategies for inclusion into the mainstream classrooms for even part of their day. We lack the
ability to adequately site those programs throughout the building. In one case a larger classroom is "divided in half' by
use of a divider wall of filing cabinets.
We offer a Life Skills program for significantly challenged young adults 18-22 (LEAP). We are unable to provide a fully
effective range of life skills training for these students due to lack of space to house a kitchen, washer/dryer, etc. We
have moved this program to the Administrative Building which is not ideal since is separates these students from the
general student population.
Small Group Reading instruction takes place in retrofitted office/conference space, which is inadequate and wider
equipped. Some of the instructional spaces are in a traffic pattern to reach other small group instructional areas.
Students practice chorus in the hallway area and the lobby in order to find more space for practice, but this does not
increase the number of students that can fit into the class.
Science is a discipline whereby students definitely learn best through laboratory experimentation and hands on activities.
Due to the small size of our science labs and the large numbers of students that we move through our science classes
(most classes are in the mid -twenties in number of students), there is less opportunity for each individual student to
personally engage in those activities, since it is necessary in most cases, to share lab stations with another student.
The retrofit of this building to accommodate the instructional needs that we have has caused us to have teachers and
classes in unusual spaces. A mathematics classroom, for instance, has a tiered floor, making flexible grouping all but
impossible. A physics classroom is in a corner that essentially divides the room into two attached spaces with poor sight
lines between the two pieces of the room.
Our counseling spaces are inadequate and perhaps some of the most tired and dreary of any spaces in the building. The
Name of School Watertown
counseling office spaces adjoined by a common room. These arrangements provide some of the least comfortable
spaces in the building, and students with some of the greatest needs use them. The nature of this deficiency structural,
and the ultimate solution requires additional space. We currently use makeshift areas such as a corner of the cafeteria for
some of our counseling.
Without a major upgrade, we will be inadequately prepared for the day that standardized testing (such as PARCC or
MCAS 2.0) requires electronic testing. In addition to this concern, there is inadequate bandwidth in the building and
difficulty retrofitting the building, due to its 100-year-old architectural structure, walls, etc. Users cannot be on multiple
wireless devices in the same area at the same time without causing a slowdown to the speed of the device, or
sometimes, being bumped off of the network altogether. In addition, we are planning a 1:1 Chromebook initiative in
FY17 which we are attempting to retrofit the connectivity to support.
We have a high percentage of our students on lEP's (23%) and thus have many team meetings that need to be held to
manage the special education students' educational programs in accordance with all special education rules and
regulations. It is very difficult to find confidential and adequate space for these meetings in the building.
Testing space is also limited. Advanced Placement testing has to take place in another building altogether (currently at
the Central Office). Testing for individual students to determine their needs and disabilities takes place in the
aforementioned inadequate counseling spaces.
Although the Library is a reasonably sized space, it is not equipped, configured nor structured to provide the appropriate
digital environment for a 21st century Library/Media center. In addition, we have reduced the floor space and materials
in order to incorporate a Fab Lab.
The nurse's suite has two treatment rooms with poor sight lines for monitoring students. There is one counseling room
within the suite, which I previously mentioned appears as if it is a retrofitted closet. Although counseling can take place in
this space it is undersized, tired and all unwelcoming environment for treating the emotional needs of our students.
At this time, the daytime instructional programs share some tools and equipment with the robotics club, but we cannot
offer a full engineering or robotics STEM program during the school day due to insufficient space. To offer the entry
Engineering course, we eliminated Computer Repair and Solid Works programs.
Enriching electives provide an opportunity to spark an interest or to more fully engage students in the learning
environment. Accessing such engagement through students' interests and/or strengths, improves the experience and
Name of School Watertown High School
dedication of students to take responsibility for their overall learning. We currently cannot offer electives such as Drama,
due to lack of appropriate space for the instruction.
The several block walk to Victory Field reduces the amount of class time and presents challenges for students with
disabilities. Remaining in the gymnasium for Physical Education instruction significantly restricts the variety and types of
engaging activities for students and limits the ability to offer a variety of lifelong fitness activities.
Athletics and intramural programs are limited by the lack of both outdoor and indoor athletic spaces. Many intramural
programs may not run at all since, the school has to share town fields with the middle school and the recreation
department for practices and games. Wrestling practices in a classroom.
Name of School Watertown High School
REQUIRED FORM OF VOTE TO SUBMIT AN SOI
REQUIRED VOTES
If the SOI is being submitted by a City or Town, a vote in the following form is required from both the
City Council/Board of Aldermen OR the Board of Selectmen/equivalent governing body AND the School
Committee.
If the SOI is being submitted by a regional school district, a vote in the following form is required from
the Regional School Committee only. FORM OF VOTE Please use the text below to prepare your City's,
Town's or District's required vote(s).
FORM OF VOTE
Please use the text below to prepare your City's, Town's or District's required vote(s).
Resolved: Having convened in an open meeting on
Board ofSelecbnm✓Equivalent Governing BadylSchool Conmdtteej of
prior to the closing date, the
ConnciliBrud ofAldennen,
in
accordance with its charter, by-laws, and ordinances, has voted to authorize the Superintendent to submit
to the Massachusetts School Building Authority the Statement of Interest dated for the
IAlanue of School] located at
lAddre,,] which
describes and explains the following deficiencies and the priority category(s) for which an application
may be submitted to the Massachusetts School Building Authority in the future
(I Berl a description of the priorily(s) checked off
on the Statement afrnteretl Eona and a briefdescription of the deficiency described therein jar each priority/; and hereby further
specifically acknowledges that by submitting this Statement of Interest Form, the Massachusetts School
Building Authority in no way guarantees the acceptance or the approval of an application, the awarding of
a grant or any other funding conunitment from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, or commits
the City/Town/Regional School District to filing an application for funding with the Massachusetts School
Building Authority.
Name of School Watertown Hiah School
CERTIFICATIONS
The undersigned hereby certifies that, to the best of his/her knowledge, information and belief, the statements and information
contained in this statement of Interest and attached hereto are true and accurate and that this Statement of Interest has been
prepared under the direction of the district school committee and the undersigned is duly authorized to submit this Statement of
Interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The undersigned also hereby acknowledges and agrees to provide the
Massachusetts School Building Authority, upon request by the Authority, any additional information relating to this Statement of
Interest that may be required by the Authority.
Chief Executive Officer x School Committee Chair Superintendent of Schools
(signature)
Date
(signature)
Date
(signature)
Date
Local Chief Executive Officer: In a city or town with a manager form of government, the manager of the municipality; in other
cities, the mayor; and in other towns, the board of selectmen unless, in a city or town, some other municipal office is designated to
the chief executive office under the provisions of a local charter. Please note, in districts where the Superintendent is also the Local
Chief Executive Officer, it is required for the. same person to sign the Statement of Interest Certifications twice. Please do not
leave any signature lines blank.