Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 11/9/2022
AGAWAM — Agawam opened its first high school 100 years ago this fall, and built its second high school in 1955, nearly 70 years ago. Last week, the town took an important step that could lead to construction of a new high school.
LeftField Project Management, which was founded in 2007 and has offices in Boston, Worcester and Providence, has been hired by the town to help determine the most “fiscally responsible and educationally appropriate” solution to problems identified at the high school.
Jennifer Bonfiglio, the town’s chief procurement officer, said the firm was selected following interviews and reference checks. It was among seven firms that submitted proposals seeking to work with the town and the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) as the project manager for the study.
The selection committee for the project management firm included Bonfiglio, Brian Pagella and Raymond Casella. They were nominated by the full School Building Committee to be the project manager review committee that interviewed four finalists. The other three firms were Anser Advisory, Collier Project Leaders, and Arcadis U.S.
According to Bonfiglio, the feasibility study will include information gathering and investigation, assessment of current conditions, establishment of goals and objectives, definition of program and needs and development of planning options.
“The feasibility study by MSBA is not approval of a project. It’s strictly an invitation to the town to work with the MSBA to explore potential solutions to the problems that have been identified at the high school,” said Bonfiglio.
Now that the town has selected a project manager, it must obtain approval from MSBA during a review panel in early December. Bonfiglio explained that the project manager does not act as a designer or a contractor, but will assist the town in contracting with a designer.
“Ultimately, the selected designer will conduct the feasibility study,” said Bonfiglio.
The role of the project manager will be to monitor and document all project tasks and to advise the town on the design process. She added that the study will begin after a designer is under contract and is expected to take nine to 12 months.
Bonfiglio said a MSBA Designer Selection Panel, made up of 13 appointed members who are design and construction experts, and three town representatives, will have the authority to select a designer.
The project manager and the designer will “help bring the town’s feasibility study to fruition,” said Bonfiglio. The budget for the feasibility study is $1.25 million, which has already been authorized by the town and will be reimbursed by MSBA at approximately 60 percent of the cost.
The study will examine “all options,” said Bonfiglio, including the viability of making renovations or building an addition to the current high school, rather than entirely new construction.
As far as what could happen to the current high school at 760 Cooper St. if a new one is built, Bonfiglio said that’s still undetermined.
“At this time, we do not know what the plans are for the high school. The fate of the present high school is dependent on the result of the feasibility study, approval by MSBA and a commitment of funding by the town,” she said.
The feasibility study will look at all the town’s schools and facilities needs in all grades, not just the high school.
The current high school was built to replace the building that now serves as Doering School. Additions were built in 1961, 1980, 1997 and 2001. Even with the last addition more than 20 years ago, the high school is considered out-of-date in many areas. Among the problems plaguing the school are obsolete science labs, small classrooms, antiquated boilers, a leaking roof and inadequate handicap accessibility.
The most recent new school in town is the junior high school, which was built in 1972. During the past decade, town and state funds have been used to replace aging boilers at both Agawam Junior High School and Doering School. State funds also were used to replace the roof, windows and doors at the junior high.