Wednesday night Twin Valley School Board members approved a preliminary application seeking state approval of a proposed $6.5 million renovation of the Twin Valley High School facility in Wilmington. The application is the result of more than four years of work, countless committee meetings, several surveys, and, at times, heated school board discussions.
Board member and facilities committee chair Phil Taylor said he has spoken to department of education school construction specialist Cathy Hilgendorf and included a cover letter explaining the process behind the proposal. “We did the process a little differently than the way it’s usually done,” Taylor said. “I sent a cover letter that talks about what we’ve done over the last four years, the votes we’ve taken, and why we’re going down that path.”
Ordinarily, Taylor said, school facilities committees commission a facilities study and create new education specifications before creating a school proposal. “We went from a budget and said can we do this for X amount of dollars. We added the ed specs to fit the proposal, and included some design guidance in the ed specs.”
But Taylor said Hilgendorf had been consulted throughout the process and shouldn’t be surprised by anything in the proposal. “I think she’ll be happy.”
Taylor said the proposal could be ready for a bond vote by early fall. In the ensuing months, Taylor and other board members will be creating an inventory of facility needs at Deerfield Valley Elementary School and Whitingham Elementary/Twin Valley Middle School. The board plans to present an outlook of future expenditures at the two buildings during public discussions on the proposed renovation. The idea, Taylor said, is to give voters a full picture of what voters can expect to pay in capital improvements over the next decade – not just the cost of the renovation. “I’d like us to prioritize the stuff that actually has to happen now and take a look at the stuff that’s going to need repair or maintenance over the next five years,” Taylor said. “We want people to understand it’s not just about the high school, but make them aware of all the expenses that will come due, as well.”
Taylor said the proposal that’s on its way to the state is virtually unchanged from the renovation option discussed before the Town Meeting straw poll. Under the option, the wooden section of the high school, built in 1899, would be demolished, along with a portion of the building added in a 1980 renovation. A new two-story addition would be built in place of the library, which would house administrative offices on the ground floor, along with a new media center, and several regular and specialized classrooms on both floors.
Some existing spaces, such as the current administrative office area, would be reconfigured.
But because the option doesn’t eliminate a building, the project wouldn’t be eligible for state school capital construction aid. The initial cost would be split between the two towns, with about 60% of the cost belonging to Wilmington and 40% to Whitingham.
Whitingham taxpayers would also be able to take advantage of the $2 million facility credit negotiated under the Twin Valley contract, which would be added to Wilmington’s tab. Using the preliminary estimates, Wilmington would be responsible for about $5.9 million of loan principal, and Whitingham would pay about $600,000.
In other matters, assistant superintendent Nancy Talbot presented a summary of a needs assessment conducted by the Sterns Center, a nonprofit group specializing in professional development tutorials. The goal of the assessment was to come up with strategies to improve student performance. The group’s recommendations will be incorporated into the school’s action plan.
Recommendations were grouped in three tiers, ranging from those that would benefit all students to those that would benefit certain groups of students, as well as recommendations that would benefit teachers. According to the recommendations, all students would benefit from a routine classroom walk-through by the principal and classroom observations, use of web-based resources, and consistent vocabulary development. Recommendations for professional development included teacher study groups, identifying and developing effective teaching practices, and a number of collaborative processes for teachers.
Talbot said a number of the recommendations were already in practice at the school, and the administration would work to implement the others. “Some of these things are easier said than done,” said Talbot.
Board member Jack Kincella said professional development money in the budget should be targeted toward implementing the recommendations. “I would be concerned that we’re not using the money toward that,” he said. “Rather than having teachers come in saying ‘I’d like to take this course,’ direct the money to support this.”
Outgoing Windham Southwest Supervisory Union Superintendent Dr. M. Peter Wright told the board that the WSSU superboard was in contract negotiations with a final candidate to replace him at the helm of the supervisory union. The appointment could come as early as Thursday.
Candidates for Twin Valley Middle School principal have been narrowed to three finalists.
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