By Geena Monahan–For the North Star Reporter
On Monday, March 24, the School Building Committee came to the Town Council to present on why a new high school is needed, this time addressing the question of why the current school does not work for a forward-thinking educational plan.
The presentation was split into two sections; the first by Brad Dore, architect from Dore and Whittier, to explain the physical deficiencies at the current high school, and the second from Assistant Superintendent Michelle McKeon and NAHS Principal Peter Haviland on how those deficiencies have a negative impact on how students are educated.
“This new building design is not about extravagance,” said Haviland. “It’s about innovation, efficiency and longevity. It will be a source of pride for our town not just because of how it looks, but because of what it stands for: a commitment to providing students with the best possible education in a modern, well-designed space that reflects our community’s values.”
Dore started by explaining that the building, built in the early 1970s, has experienced a lot of wear and tear from the hundreds of students who use it each year. The major systems in the school have reached the end of their life, and Dore noted that even back in the 70s when they were installed, they wouldn’t have been expected to last longer than they already have.
One example presented was the HVAC system, as the majority of classrooms in the current building employ outdated unit ventilators. Dore stated that these aren’t used any more, which makes it very difficult to find replacement cartridges for them.
“This building has actually been pretty well maintained. I know there’s some people that have questioned that,” said Dore. “Fifty years is a long time; stuff starts to wear out and stuff needs to be replaced. Technology has changed; we didn’t have computers 50 years ago. We didn’t need data lines all over the building, we didn’t need as many outlets.”
Dore also referenced updated building codes, in regard to accessibility. While some improvements have been made to allow students with disabilities easier access to the entire building, it still is non-compliant.
Currently, the high school offers only 175,000 square feet of learning space, which is 50,000 below the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s recommendations and the proposed new high school’s square footage of 225,000. Dore noted that modular units were put in place 20 years ago to help with overcrowding, and those temporary solutions have now become permanent classrooms that are in need of repairs.
McKeon also weighed in on this issue, explaining that an old custodial loading dock was turned into the current high school’s fabrication hub because it was the only space left in the building. According to McKeon, students have to go outside if they want to use a saw to cut plywood, and the limited space greatly impacts the number of students who can participate.
“This is one of our most popular and sought after classes, and we can only put 12 students in that room,” said McKeon.
The high school’s television studio faces similar restraints, as it can only fit about 10 students and utilizes an old hallway as a recording and sound booth that fits just two students. The science classrooms are windowless and located on the second floor, allowing no access to the outside to conduct biology experiments and no room to house aquariums, terrariums or large pieces of advanced lab equipment.
A new high school, said McKeon, would fix all of these issues and allow for a new model classroom cluster that works together to promote collaborative learning and prepare students for the workforce, instead of having students sit on the ground in hallways to work on group projects.
“No matter what we write in the education plan, there’s nowhere for us to do that work at our current high school,” said McKeon. “What we need and what we hear is that the students need to take what they learn and practice with hands-on learning in order to collaborate, solve problems and think about how things apply in the real world.”
That education plan, Haviland noted, has been recognized by the MSBA as the best educational vision it has seen in the history of its program. As principal, Haviland said his role is to responsibly advocate for everything the school needs to support and educate all students, but it’s just not possible to do in the current building.
“As we prepare students for life in 2073, we simply cannot do it effectively in a 1973 building,” said Haviland. “Our current facility, despite our best maintenance efforts, is insufficient, inadequate and out of compliance with today’s educational standards.”
Haviland also noted that Attleboro is thriving under a new high school, Bishop Feehan just opened a new Innovations and Art Center, and Tri-County recently broke ground on a state-of-the-art facility. According to Haviland, without taking action on a new high school and utilizing the funding the MSBA is willing to give, North Attleborough could easily fall behind and have an effect on where people choose to live and educate their children.
“As a community, we can’t just offer an education,” said Haviland. “We have to make informed decisions to create the right kind of education, because we have the obligation to make sure our kids are ready, able and willing to pursue the experiences they’re going to face after high school. This project is the best thing this community can do for our students; it’s our responsibility.”