The Weymouth School Building Committee was formed by Mayor Hedlund in August, 2016 after the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) voted Weymouth into the Eligibility Period for the Maria Weston Chapman Middle School building project.
Weymouth is working with the MSBA to determine the most cost effective and educationally appropriate preferred solution for the Chapman Middle School.
This webpage is managed by the Weymouth School Building Committee to keep the public informed about the project and process.
The role of the Weymouth School Building Committee includes:
- Disseminating information about the Chapman Middle School building project to the community.
- Promoting community outreach and encouraging public input throughout the process.
- Providing the necessary information to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) through all phases of the project.
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Making thoughtful project decisions on a new or renovated Chapman Middle School.
The Massachusetts School Building Authority (“MSBA”) is a quasi-independent government authority created to reform the process of funding capital improvement projects in the Commonwealth’s public schools. The MSBA strives to work with local communities to create affordable, sustainable, and energy efficient schools across Massachusetts.
Committee Members:
Robert L. Hedlund, Mayor
Dr. Jennifer Curtis-Whipple, Superintendent of Schools
Lisa Belmarsh, Member
Brian Connolly, Member
Kathy Curran, Member
Paul Duprey, Member
Stephanie Hilbert Dwyer, Member
Tom Eldridge, Member
Sean Guilfoyle, Vice Chairman
Lisa Jennings, Member
Ted Langill, Chairman
John MacLeod, Member
Matthew Meehan, Member
Michael Smart, Member
New Maria Weston Chapman Middle School Project:
Project Goals and General Scope:
On or about April 6th 2015, the Owner submitted a Statement of Interest to the MSBA for the Maria Weston Chapman Middle School. The MSBA is an independent public authority that administers and funds a program for grants to eligible cities, towns, and regional school districts for school construction and renovation projects. The MSBA’s grant program is discretionary, and no city, town, or regional school district has any entitlement to any funds from the MSBA. At the November 9th, 2016. Board of Directors meeting, the MSBA Board voted to issue an invitation to the Owner to conduct a feasibility study for this Statement of Interest to identify and study possible solutions and, through a collaborative process with the MSBA, reach a mutually-agreed upon solution. The MSBA has not approved a Project and the results of this feasibility study may or may not result in a Project approved by the MSBA.
It is anticipated that the feasibility study will review the problems identified in the Statement of Interest at the MWCMS.
The Feasibility Study shall include a study of all alternatives and contain all information required by 963 CMR 2.10(8) and any other applicable rules, regulations, policies, guidelines and directives of the Authority, including, but not limited to, a final design program, space summary, budget statement for educational objectives, and a proposed total project budget. The Schematic Design shall include, but not be limited to, the information required by the Authority’s Feasibility Study Guidelines, including, but not limited to, a site development plan, environmental assessment, geotechnical assessment, geotechnical analysis, code analysis, utility analysis, schematic building floor plans, schematic exterior building elevations, narrative building systems descriptions, MA-CHPS or LEED-S scorecard, outline specifications, cost estimates, project schedule and proposed total project budget.
Project Objectives under consideration by the Town include:
o Reduce the number of student transitions between schools; by redistricting and consolidating grade levels.
o Include the option of a separate cafeteria and auditorium to address the significance of those facilities to the Community, taking into consideration the architectural design as well as community support for fine and performing arts;
o Address potential future enrollment increases;
o Consider designs and spaces incorporated into a building that will allow community access and events outside of school hours such as a common auditorium/ learning/ conference space.
o Provide spaces that allow the district the capacity to utilize their electronic curricululum and learning tools in all areas of the building.
o Consider redistricting and space issues across the district including the need for additional pre-school development classrooms, and spaces for kindergarten
o Provide integrated space for specialized education services (SPED) for current and future SPED programs within the district
o Address life cycle costs of operating the school as it relates to future operational budgets;
Review Northeast Collaborative for High Performance Schools (NE-CHPS) criteria or US Green Building Council’s LEED for Schools
Owner's Project Manager:
Hill International, Inc. (Hill) is a leading international construction consulting firm that provides program and project management, construction management, cost engineering and estimating, quality assurance, inspection, scheduling, claims analysis, innovative dispute resolution and staff augmentation services to clients involved in major construction projects worldwide. Hill has the expertise and experience to manage major projects from concept to successful completion. We have participated in over 10,000 project assignments with a total construction value of over $500 billion. Hill is ranked as the 9th largest construction management firm in the United States according to Engineering News-Record magazine, and we are the largest pure construction management firm in the country. Hill is a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange with worldwide headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Lexington Schools project will be managed from Hill's Boston office, located at 330 Congress Street.
Designer:
HMFH’s story begins in 1969, when three young classmates from the Harvard Graduate School of Design launched a firm with their mentor, Walter Hill, a well-known school designer. The new firm, Hill Miller Friedlaender Hollander was quickly recognized for its innovative approach to school design, winning awards for the iconic Brewster Elementary School and Charlestown High School. The young firm’s projects were distinguished for their humanizing scale, invigorating use of color, natural light and fresh air. Their work expanded to include other public building types, commercial facilities and housing that revitalized urban neighborhoods.
In 1984, the firm was reorganized under the leadership of John Miller, Stephen Friedlaender, Mario Torroella, and George Metzger and renamed HMFH Architects. Through major projects including Penn High School in Indiana, Brewster Elementary School and the Baldwin School, HMFH established a national reputation for thoughtful educational design and creating lasting buildings that continue to delight and inspire each new generation of students.
Today, with an expanded leadership and certification as a Woman-Owned Business (WBE), HMFH has broadened its focus to include a range of academic and institutional clients. Not surprisingly, the same innovative design, tenacity, exacting attention to detail and client service that distinguished its early practice, continues to guide the firm as it embraces new models of practice, technology and sustainability.