Facilities Master Planning

Background

In the last decade, the population in Windham has grown in excess of 25%.This general town growth has resulted in significant student population growth in our schools. In the last five years, Windham opened a new high school and welcomed our first kindergarten class. Today four of our five schools operate well beyond their educational capacity (core and classroom space).

Crowded buildings have led to:

• Increased class sizes (some of the highest in the State of New Hampshire),
• Compromising of our Unified Arts (art, music and physical education) programs,
• Exploitation of non-classroom spaces for educational purposes, and
• Tuitioning of special education students out of district to more costly settings.
  
  

Due to modified science facilities and the inability to offer Technology Education and Family and Consumer Sciences, our Middle School is accredited as an elementary school not a middle school.

Facilities Master Planning

Over the past several years, Windham voters have overwhelmingly supported efforts to develop a Facilities Master Plan.These efforts have involved community representatives, School Board members, building and district administrators, and hired professionals.The Committee examined all of our facilities and concluded that:

• The most significant issue facing the Windham School District today is capacity.
• While student population is likely to continue to grow, the rate of growth will slow considerably.
• Population estimates over the 10-20 year period take total K-12 population from today’s 2,650 students to just over 3,100 students.
• Our three lower schools are operating well beyond their educational capacity.
• The Middle School is the first and best point of intervention to relieve immediate capacity constraints throughout the system and rectify the facilities shortcomings that have resulted in our Middle School being recognized as an upper elementary school.
• The basic “bricks and mortar” of all buildings are strong and of sound original construction.
  
  

Finally, the Committee identified the eventual renovation of and addition to Golden Brook School as well as the completion of Windham High School’s athletic fields as necessary to bring our District’s facilities into line with our current and future student population expectations and to most effectively deliver of our program of studies.

Reports from this Committee are available below:

Facilites Master Plan School Board Presentation 6-20-2011 (PDF)

Facilities Master Plan Spring 2011 Comprehensive Report (PDF)

Facilities Master Plan Appendix FG -05-16-2011 (PDF)

Facilities Master Plan Appendix H - 05-16-2011 (PDF)

Facilities Master Plan Appendix I -05-16-2011(PDF)

The analysis completed by the Facilities Master Planning Committee along with subsequent due diligence undertaken by the Windham School Board led us to a Facilities Master Plan that allows us to address our current and future capacity needs in an educationally-sound and fiscally-responsible manner.In order to mitigate the tax impact to voters, the plan is to phase the necessary capacity over a period of years.

Facilities Master Plan Progress Report 1-6-2012 (PDF)

Our Facilities Master Plan includes the following steps:

Kindergarten

Our kindergarten program is in its third year.However, due to the lack of classroom space, these students have been housed in portable classrooms since the program began.

• Construction of a permanent Kindergarten wing at Golden Brook School was approved by voters in March of 2011.
• Construction is currently underway, and the kindergarten wing will open in August of 2012.
• The cost of the kindergarten addition was $2.5M.In part due to State funding, this was a one-time $900,000 local tax impact for Windham property owners.

Construction of a New Building for 7^th and 8^thGraders on London Bridge Road

The construction of a new 7^th and 8^th Grade School on London Bridge Road relieves the immediate and future capacity needs throughout our district by allowing us to add much-needed capacity for our K-8 program.

Conceptual drawings and analysis estimate the cost of this building to be between $22 and $25M.A new 7th and 8^th Grade Building:

• Ensures that we can offer a true Middle School curriculum by building the necessary facilities
• Provides for socially-appropriate student groupings
• Allows for future expansion and flexibility (the building will be cored for 750-1000 students with initial classroom space of 500)
• Creates a campus environment on London Bridge Road
• Uses land currently owned by the District

In order to develop a guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for this new building, Windham voters will be asked in March of 2012 to approve $711,000 for architectural and engineering fees.These architect and engineering fees will be a one-time cost that will allow the District to determine the cost of a 7^th and 8^th grade school with a high level of accuracy.The development of these plans will, in turn, lead to asking voters for the necessary construction dollars in March 2013 to build a 7^th and 8^th grade building on London Bridge Road.

High School Track and Fields

Due to budget constraints at the time of construction, many of the desired athletic facilities where not included in the initial construction of Windham High School.Completion of the athletic infrastructure at Windham High School will provide athletic space for our student-athletes and for other Town sports programs. The new facilities will include:

oA track and field

oA Turf football field with lights and bleachers

The cost of the athletic fields is estimated at between $3.5 and 4.5M.

Renovation of and Addition to Golden Brook School for Grades Preschool-2

While a new 7^th and 8^th Grade Building will provide the District with additional capacity, current and continued population growth will still leave us with capacity constraints in our lower schools.The eventual renovation of our District’s first building:

• Renovates and adds to 40-year-old, but structurally sound, building
• Adds additional capacity to the system
• Integrates our preschool students with our K-2 population
• Is estimated at $25M

Final Grade Configuration

• Windham High School - Grades 9-12 (completed track and fields)
• New School on London Bridge Rd - Grades 7-8 (accredited middle school curriculum)
• Windham Middle School (without renovation) - Grades 5-6
• Windham Center School (without renovation) - Grades 3-4
• Golden Brook School – Grades preschool - 2