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Committees: School Building Committee

News and Announcements

Registry of Contractors Preapproved to bid on Middle School Project (3/21/2012)

Renderings of the proposed Hingham Middle School

Final Phase 1 Budget November 4, 2011 (PDF)

Phase 1 Cost Estimates September 6, 2011 (PDF)

School Building Committee Update

Following successful votes at the Special Town Meeting and ballot box in late October, the School Building Committee wasted no time in turning its attention to the next phase of project design. The schematic renderings developed this past summer have been refined to include specific space components and reflect both functionality and aesthetic that combine quality, taste and cost efficiency. Extensive middle school staff and user group meetings provided essential input, which has highlighted a collaborative approach to this endeavor while positively influencing design development. The MSBA formally approved the project at its Board meeting in late September and has confirmed Hingham's rate of grant reimbursement at 43.87%.

As the project schedule solidifies, focus has turned to the permitting that will be required to proceed. With an aggressive and optimistic plan in place, the spirit of collaboration has resulted in a coordinated effort that will yield an initial group project presentation to the Planning Board, Conservation Commission and Board of Health on January 23, 2012.

The development of construction-level design documents will allow additional cost estimates to be performed over the winter providing further opportunities to address the overall project costs leading up to the bidding process slated for April. As presently forecast, the 24-month construction phase should begin in June paving the way for new school occupation in September 2014.

The School Building Committee will continue to meet regularly and welcomes public attendance and input. Community participation and inquiry are enthusiastically encouraged. Detailed meeting minutes will continue to be promptly posted on this site. Stay tuned for further project updates and details.

School Building Committee Members:

Raymond C. Estes, Chair
Timothy R. Collins, Vice Chair
Sandra Cleary, Secretary
Samantha Anderson
Peter Bradley
Robert Bucey
Stefan Vogelmann

2011 Annual Report

In 2011, The Hingham School Building Committee marked the completion of three major construction/renovation projects in accordance with the mandate it received from voters at previous Town Meetings to execute the recommendations contained in the Ten-Year Master Plan developed by the School Facility Study Committee in 2006. Working with the School Department and the School Committee, the School Building Committee was charged with the renovation of Foster and Plymouth River Elementary Schools, and the construction of the new East Elementary School, which opened in September 2009. All three of these projects are 100% complete. With Alan MacDonald and Esther Healey departing its membership in early spring, and with sincere gratitude for their collective contributions, the School Building Committee welcomed newly appointed members Robert Bucey and Raymond Estes.

The School Building Committee is particularly pleased to announce that the completed Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) audit of the East School construction project yielded a savings for the Town of more than $780,000 from the budgeted amount and the Town was reimbursed over $9.5 million for the Commonwealth's share of the eligible construction costs. The completed renovations of Foster and PRS have breathed 10-15 years of new life into the Town's two oldest elementary schools and enhanced parity of the learning environment across all four of Hingham's elementary schools. The School Building Committee believes the success of these projects reflects a collaborative effort that included vigilant oversight, cost control, and attention to detail by the School Building Committee; high quality services provided by the Owner's Project Manager, design team, and general contractors; and continuous, thoughtful support and input from members of the School Department staff, administrators, teachers, and other professionals throughout the school system as well as the members of the School Committee.

With overcrowding and physical plant deficiencies increasingly affecting the learning experience for middle school students, efforts to seek a solution were renewed and redoubled. Following the report of the Master Plan Review Committee (MPRC) in October 2010, which confirmed the pressing need to address concerns first identified in the 2006 Master Plan, several options to pursue its final, unrealized recommendation were explored, including an addition/renovation of the existing building, construction of a new school, and a new school designed and constructed pursuant to the MSBA's Model School Program, which promises reduced costs for design and an expedited evaluation, approval and construction process. Due to both recognition of Hingham's continued need and the recent successful partnership in the development and construction of East Elementary, the MSBA chose to work with Hingham again for a middle school project. Severe winter storms that damaged structural elements of the existing middle school as well as cost considerations narrowed the options being considered and led the MSBA to extend an invitation into its Model Middle School Program. School and Town officials agreed that the opportunity to increase the potential level of cost reimbursement for the Town and the compressed design and construction schedule associated with the model program that would expedite completion of the project were benefits that could not be declined.

At Town Meeting in April, voters approved $600,000 in funding for the feasibility and schematic design phase of the project. The School Building Committee proceeded to select an Owner's Project Manager (Mary Mahoney of KBA) and Architect (Ai3) and both professionals began work immediately to adapt the chosen model school (Whitman-Hanson High School) to suit Hingham's middle school site, enrollment and programmatic specifications. Design development and site engineering progressed throughout the summer leading to MSBA approval in late September of the scope and budget for a new 176,385 square foot middle school. In an effort to reduce and control costs with the goal of delivering the most cost-effective result possible, the School Building Committee engaged in multiple rounds of aggressive value-engineering that reduced the total project cost by millions--a process that the School Building Committee will seek to continue throughout the project. The total cost of the project was estimated to be $60.9 million of which Hingham's share is approximately $35 million. The balance will be paid by the MSBA at the reimbursement rate of nearly 44%--almost $26 million.

Following successful votes at the Special Town Meeting and Special Election in late October, the School Building Committee immediately turned its attention to the next phase of project design. The schematic renderings developed over the summer were refined to include specific space components and reflect both functionality and aesthetics that combine quality, taste and cost efficiency. Extensive middle school staff and user group meetings provided essential input, which has highlighted a collaborative approach to this endeavor while positively influencing design development. An aggressive but achievable permitting schedule was established as the year came to a close with initial presentations to the Planning Board, Conservation Commission and Board of Health set for January 2012.

The development of construction-level design documents and additional cost estimates have provided further opportunities to determine the anticipated project costs leading up to the bidding process slated for April 2012, which will confirm the true cost of the project. As presently forecast, the 24-month construction phase should begin in June, paving the way for new school occupation in September 2014. The demolition of the existing middle school and completion of site work, including new athletic fields, ample parking and circulation improvements, are scheduled to be completed by late spring 2015.

The new Hingham Middle School will incorporate high-performance and quality design, cost-efficient construction, the inclusion of green and sustainable features, and up-to-date technology and operating systems that will yield ease of use and maintenance. Most importantly, it will provide well for the educational needs of Hingham middle school students, maintaining a long-standing tradition of excellence for generations to come.

The School Building Committee is grateful for the cooperation and support of Representative Garrett Bradley and Senator Bob Hedlund as it navigated its way through the MSBA's new program. As the School Building Committee executes one of the largest and most complex projects ever undertaken by the Town, the efforts of many cannot be ignored. The aforementioned permitting boards, the Energy Action Committee and other collaborating groups and individuals also deserve recognition for their participation in the middle school project. The School Department and past and present members of the School Committee, Board of Selectmen and Advisory Committee all played key roles over several years to reach this point and realize the vision of the 2006 Master Plan.

Raymond C. Estes, Chair
Timothy R. Collins, Vice-Chair
Sandra Cleary, Secretary
Samantha Anderson
Peter Bradley
Robert Bucey
Stefan Vogelmann