The building will be net zero ready. This means the building features an electric heating and cooling system for classrooms and other smaller spaces. For larger spaces, will have a central ventilation system that uses a very efficient gas boiler plant for heating. This can be back fed in the future with an all electric heat pump, hot water plant. The project will be planning for future solar panels on the roof that will offset the electric energy use of the school. 

Yes, we will produce an all-building energy model, which will compare predicted annual energy use of the project to the equivalent code compliant only building. 

The building will be built to accommodate  future solar panels. 

STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. Arts also includes digital arts - 3-D modeling, videography etc. Students are coming out of WIS doing many of these things and have this curriculum. The current middle school can’t support a STEAM curriculum because of space and other limitations. This curriculum will help bridge the gap to the High School. They will now have adequate science lab and space for 3–D printing and more digital technologies. To really encourage our students to consider careers in STEAM professions, Middle school is the best time to engage our students in these subjects to support their future careers. 

We are currently not over budget - all expenses to date are in line with expectations. We received an estimate that indicates the schematic design if built with the associated design assumptions would most likely be over. This is why we do periodic estimates. The team went and found ways to reduce costs and changed some design elements. The next estimate will be provided in April. We do anticipate that it will be higher than the budgeted amount due to unprecedented inflation in the construction industry. After the Building Committee meeting on April 5, the Town Council will hold a meeting to determine a path forward. 

In March 2022, the committee voted to proceed with a new building. Several reasons drove this decision including:

• Cost:  A rough order of magnitude estimated that a renovation’s total project costs would be more than a new build. Renovation costs were more for several reasons including but not limited to:

*Difficulty of moving the masonry support structure to meet the requirements of the educational specifications. 

*Complications of phasing a project such as temporary classroom facilities and contractors soft costs through a longer construction period. 

• Security

*Increases the site lines for administration to the parking areas and visitor entrances.

*Provides easier integration of the latest building security systems.

• Energy Efficiency

*Allows the building to be reoriented to minimize sun impact. 

*Create a more efficient building envelope 

*Run a more efficient HVAC system

• Minimize Student Disruption

*A renovation project’s construction could take upwards of 4 years - some students would be in construction through their entire middle school career. 

*This is coming off the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

*Would also result in the loss of music, arts and athletics spaces during construction - important outlets for our middle school students. 

There are no plans to change the current bus routes, and buses will continue to enter the property from Captain James Mann Memorial Drive. There will be increased queueing to get the buses out of the neighborhood and on to the school property. 

It is highly unlikely that the town would cancel the project, because the town did vote in favor of the project at referendum. What Town Council can do is restrict the project to the monies approved at the referendum. If that were the case, then the Building Committee would be forced to go to the Board of Education and make some significant, drastic cuts to the Educational Specifications. All of this will be laid out in early April, when the next estimate is available.

The landscape architect will select species that will do very well in this micro-climate. They are very careful about selecting species that are slow growing, easy to maintain, and very disease resistant. 

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The size of the school is determined by a formula provided by the state of Connecticut and is based on our enrollment projections. The formula takes the highest enrollment number in a 10-year period and multiplies that by a square footage number to come up with the recommended size for your school. 

To determine what is included in the school - the district administration and Board of Education write educational specifications - which serves as the requirements document for what will be part of the new school.

• Recording of the Jan. 18, 2023 meeting 

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