ATM 2019 ~ Articles 21 and 22 ~ Yes, We Should, and Yes, We Are

Submitted by Dan Brosgol
Chair, Bedford School Committee

At Annual Town Meeting next week, the School Committee will be asking the Town of Bedford to support Articles 21 and 22, authorizing the raising and appropriation of $6,282,735 for renovations and additions at the John Glenn Middle School and Bedford High School.

At the past two Town Meetings, the voters of Bedford overwhelmingly approved Phase One and Phase Two of these two projects, for feasibility studies and for funding of the schematic designs and construction documents. Our project timetable, a 14-month long process that would begin this summer and end in late summer 2020, follows the successful model of the Lane School and Davis School additions, and we look forward to beginning work in earnest in late June, pending Town Meeting approval.

Recently, the Committee learned that a group of residents had raised three specific areas of concern: First, whether steps were taken to ensure these projects are Net Zero or better; second, the possibility of waiting a year before beginning construction; and third, the whether the 14-month construction timetable is not feasible. As you prepare to cast your vote next week, I’d like to take this opportunity to share my thoughts on the issues raised.

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Net Zero or better?

One of the most pressing concerns we have heard is the desire for these two projects to achieve Net Zero or better status, to take proactive steps to mitigate the carbon footprint of the buildings, and to do as much as possible to make the projects environmentally-friendly.

And to those of you who share that concern, let me say, unequivocally, on behalf of the School Committee, yes, we should, make these projects Net Zero or better and yes, we are going to do so.

As the materials prepared by Superintendent Jon Sills, Facilities Director Taissir Alani, and Justin Humphries from TBA Architects demonstrate, this has been an integral part of the projects’ designs from the outset.

Both projects will have, either as a part of the proposed work or in the very near future, a detailed list of items that will help make these projects Net Zero or better. These measures include solar panels on the roof of JGMS (which has long been a goal of both the Committee and the Town), LED lighting, an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) HVAC system, additional sub-metering for electricity, motion sensors and automatic shut-offs for lights, flooring that can be thoroughly washed with non-toxic cleaners, and more.

Please take a moment to review those materials, which detail the Net Zero measures; you can find all of them on the Bedford Public Schools website by following this link. Moreover, Mr. Alani and I will welcome any questions, comments, or additional suggestions on them on the floor of Town Meeting next week.

The Committee’s desire to take proactive steps to address climate change does not end with these projects, however. Over the past two years, we have partnered with Mothers Out Front to promote home energy assessments for town residents and are currently looking at piloting ways to both remove liquids from our school trash and to begin composting food waste. We will always be open to such proposals and partnerships.

Should we wait?

The case for the renovations and additions, however, is not limited to the opportunity to get to Net Zero. As the public is most certainly aware of by now, the space needs that required both the Lane School and Davis School additions are due to impact the John Glenn Middle School by the first day of school in September 2020.

Already at JGMS we have overcrowding of classrooms, foreign language classes with over 30 students in them, an orchestra group that must meet in the Cafeteria, and 33 classes that exceed our class size guidelines. As Bedford continues to see its school-aged population increase, the math is simple: the current configuration of the JGMS building cannot absorb such growth. JGMS enrollment has been climbing for the past several years and is projected to grow by another 100 students over the next 8 years.

And we cannot, and should not, delay this project, for on top of the increasing numbers of students, the opening of the SAIL program at JGMS in two years will push our space needs issues past the breaking point.

The SAIL Program is our sub-separate special education program for students with autism, which was created to meet the very real needs of Bedford students with autism spectrum disorders. Accordingly, as students became older, we added to the Davis SAIL Program, a Lane SAIL Program. Anticipating the maturing of these students has been one of the key drivers for the JGMS project, as these children will grow out of the Lane program and will need a new JGMS program in September 2021. A delay in the project will prevent us from having space ready for those students when they arrive.

Also of note is that if these projects are delayed, the costs will escalate by at least 5% annually if put off to future years- or an additional $300,000 for each year.

Is 14 months enough time?

Other residents have raised questions about the aggressive timeline of the JGMS/BHS project.

While that is always a real concern, the School Committee and Building Committee, in partnership with TBA Architects, successfully shepherded the Lane School project on a similar 14-month timetable to completion on time and under budget, and all signs point to the Davis School project being completed on time and under budget as well. A recent walk-through of the Davis addition was held last week and we are fully confident that the space will be ready for the opening of school this fall.

It is also worth noting that the Davis project, one that was much larger in its scope than the Lane addition, will be completed on time despite a one-month delay in the summer of 2018 due to the National Grid labor dispute and the late winter snowstorms. Our architects and the Facilities Director assure us that we can complete the work at JGMS and BHS as planned.

Vote yes

Your vote in favor of Articles 21 and 22 will be a vote not just for our children, but also a vote that acknowledges that these projects, as Net Zero projects, are an important statement that all future building projects in Bedford consider the environmental impact of construction as well.

Finally, it is worth noting that the School Committee, the JGMS/BHS building committee, the Finance Committee, the Capital Expenditure Committee, and the Board of Selectmen all supported Articles 21 and 22 unanimously. I ask that you join all of us next week in voting for these projects as well.

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