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Date: 2/21/2023
HOLYOKE — The School Building Committee’s Feb. 16 meeting provided an opportunity for the committee and those of the public watching virtually to see the latest edition of the updated plan proposal for the new middle school building project.
Joining the committee to present the latest in the schematic design making process was Mount Vernon Group, who was selected by the committee just days before the meeting to design the proposed middle school building. The selection came after the School Building Committee reviewed designs from different firms over several meetings.
Mount Vernon Group signed a contract with the city for schematic plans that include replacing the William R. Peck Middle School, an aging structure built in the 1970s.
In May 2022, the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) invited the city to proceed with a feasibility study. The City Council approved $475,000 to fund the study with the building authority reimbursing the city 80 percent of costs.
Presenting on behalf of Mount Vernon Group was Project Manager Chris LeBlanc and Design Principal of Mount Vernon Dennis Daly. The two representatives from the design firm were able to show an updated and newly edited floor layout map of the two floors of the proposed new school building.
Presented at the meeting, the latest update to the layout of the building shows a first floor dedicated to a sixth and seventh grade wing on opposite sides of the building. In the detailed map shared, there are five regular classrooms for each grade’s wing, one science wing in the sixth grade wing and two in the seventh grade wing, a regular sized and fully dedicated special education classroom in each wing. An administrative suite and lobby will sit at the front of the building.
“The idea is that everybody in the 6th grade can pretty much stay at home in their neighborhood unless they go to their specials,” Daly said.
Daly explained that in their layouts each classroom was marked with a designation related to those listed through the MSBA of potential classroom uses listed for the state. Receiver/Superintendent Anthony Soto noted during the meeting that the district would soon be revisiting its Education Plan to better reflect new curriculum that could be utilized in this new space, but the current draft still basically reflected the general core options middle schoolers can expect.
The presentation continued to serve as a status update and not an official announcement of a final draft for the plan.
On the proposed new building’s second floor would be a similar look to the first floor but due to the layout of the existing Peck site on which a new building would be constructed, the gym would be on the second floor. A dedicated eighth grade wing sits above the seventh grade wing below it with the same collection of classrooms and science classrooms.
Daly said the site presented some unique challenges for the firm and because of that their design currently has the gym on the second floor of the building.
“We saw a real opportunity here to put the gym on the second floor because we have just the right height of land,” Daly said.
The second-floor gym would connect to a cafeteria room with a stage. The gym and cafeteria area would be separated by a portable wall that comes apart to create a larger shared space for future public and school events. Daly noted the space would be able to be locked off from the rest of the school for events.
“The gym on the second floor allows children to exit the gymnasium by use of stairs and an accessible path to get up to the playing fields at the park,” Daly explained. The space would also have a parking lot outside it making it an easier entrance for the space as it is commonly utilized for other after school events.
Above the sixth grade wing is what was described as a wing committed to the different specials seen in a middle school curriculum. This would be classroom spaces for arts, technology, and classroom space devoted to occupational and physical therapy. Daly called this portion “enrichment spaces” and added the media center in this same wing of the building would serve as a library and much more.
“There are so many models of learning and other things and destinations for students that serve similar purposes like art and tech that we’ve created what we call an innovation hub,” Daly explained. “A lot of people can participate in activities and make it as flexible a space as we possibly can.”
Flexibility has been a key part of the building’s design as well according to Daly, as each classroom should provide different options of set up and flexibility for changing curriculum over time. Soto mentioned that the district would be reviewing its Education Plan to better align it with the school building proposal.
The design plan also showed space for a courtyard. Daly said courtyards have become “very active spaces” for learning outside of the classroom in school.
LeBlanc also noted different sections and wings of the building could be locked off from each other in say the event of an after-school event in the gym area. He also noted they were working with the district security team to learn of the district’s emergency policies and making sure the building aligned and can work with those procedures.
The district and the School Building Committee will continuing to work with Mount Vernon Group before the city’s proposal is reviewed by the MSBA in the spring.