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Michael Krause, who chairs the Board of Education (BOE), says it is time to bring Walsh Intermediate School into the 21st century — and he should know. He was in the first 5th grade class to attend Walsh when it opened almost 45 years ago.
“It is time to bring the building up to date,” Krause told the Eagle.
A new feasibility study offers four options, ranging in cost from an estimated $77.6 million to $92.6 million — before state reimbursement. When potential state funds are included in the estimates, the town’s portion would range from an estimated $52.5 million to $70.8 million. Educators appear to be leaning toward the so-called “hybrid” option but remain open about the other plans as well.
This is the third modernization proposal for Walsh in the past 17 years. A master plan and feasibility study were compiled in 1998 by Kosinski Enterprises. In 2013, Silver/Petrucelli & Associates completed a study which estimated it would cost $109.8 million to renovate and expand Walsh — an estimated $97 million after state reimbursement.
The BOE unanimously approved the Silver/Petrucelli plan in 2013, but the town objected to the costs.
Krause, who has been on the BOE about 16 years, says he is more optimistic about the most recent plans than he was back in 2001. The conceptual plans and feasibility study were recently presented to the Board of Finance (BOF).
Krause said the BOE will discuss the four options and the educational impact before making a recommendation to the Board of Selectmen (BOS). “It’s time and it’s exciting to begin moving forward,” he said.
Walsh was built in 1972 as an open-concept school with few interior walls, the latest in what was then considered a modern building. Some walls and half-partitions have been erected over the years, but parents have complained about noise levels and other issues, especially in the fifth-grade wing.
“It is very important for the age group — 5th through 8th — to have a school that is part of the 21st century,” Krause said.
Superintendent Hamlet Hernandez said in an interview with the Eagle this week that he hopes the consultants will make a presentation when the BOE meets at 7 p.m. Sept. 16. He will post a letter to parents on the district’s web site to inform them about the meeting and the presentation. He said the meeting is strictly informational and no decisions will be made for awhile. The BOE meets at the lower media center (library) at the Branford High School. during an interview i
“It’s very early in the process,” Hernandez said, adding that it’s important to keep everything transparent.
Hernandez said the administration is working on educational specifications, such as number and placement of classrooms, and phasing of construction as related to instructional issues.
He said the educational specifications will be compared to the options in the feasibility study to see which concept works best.
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“On the surface, option 3 (the hybrid option) is something that I’m more partial to … but I have a very open mind,” Hernandez said. He said it’s also necessary to look at each option in terms of technology, security and natural lighting. “When you walk into Walsh Intermediate School, there is no natural lighting.
Walsh said parents and administrators are well aware of the physical problems at Walsh. “We have challenges and I think we do a good job of addressing them. But there are significant limitations,” he said.
“We’re looking academically, socially and emotionally, to build a school to meet the students’ needs,” Hernandez said. “It’s long overdue.” He said the students and the community will benefit from modernizing Walsh.
“I commend the first selectman, and the Board of Education for really moving this forward,” he said.
Board of Finance Comes First
Unlike previous feasibility studies for Walsh, these latest plans went first to the Board of Finance. Two years ago, Joe Mooney, the chair of the BOF sent a letter to then BOE chair Frank Carrano outlining a new process that the BOF formulated to decide the when, why and how for future funding of school and municipal buildings. So before the BOE goes about planning to renovate buildings, it will need BOF approval first — rather than coming later for approval of drawn-up plans. Click here to read the story.
Recognizing this new reality, First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove, who commissioned the new study, spoke at the BOF meeting, saying it was important to determine what might be fiscally possible.
During the Walsh discussion at the BOF meeting, Cosgrove referred to Finch’s bonding plan, $90 million over 10 years which Finch outlined in 2013. Click here to read that story. Cosgrove said he had been working with the superintendent in regard to the feasibility study of Walsh. “The intermediate school is a priority project. We want to come forward with a financially feasible plan,” Cosgrove said.
At this point Mooney corrected Cosgrove, saying the $90 million bonding project was for a “number of projects.” He said it was a “collective number.”
Cosgrove said the Walsh project would need the support of the Board of Education and the community at large. This preview, he said, would provide a way to determine the financial impact on the town.
Mooney asked about other schools, such as Sliney Elementary School. Hernandez said: “Walsh is first. The decision was made.” He said Walsh has about 1,000 students whereas Sliney has 300 or so students.
The consultants said the study includes broad outlines and preliminary costs for each of the four choices. They said the costs and state reimbursement calculations are estimates.
Victor Cassella, a BOF member, told the architects that when he did the math for a new Walsh building it came to $621.00 a square foot. “That’s a pretty shocking number,” he said.
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Cosgrove later told the Eagle that he thinks the hybrid option may work the best, but it will take more study. “We have some viable options,” he said.
“The BOE will weigh these concepts and see programmatically what works best and look at the phasing,” Cosgrove said.
Options and Costs
The feasibility study was conducted by DTC of Hamden; and Perkins Eastman Architects of Stamford.
The report states: “The most critical issues that must be addressed included code and accessibility compliance, heating, cooling, lighting and technological requirements.”
It also states that many classrooms have thin partitions that do not meet state acoustical codes, and some rooms have no windows or doors. In addition, it says that doors, handrails, ramps and restrooms do not comply with universal accessibility standards.
The report offers four possible options.
Option 1 — Renovate the building like new, retaining the gyms and pool. The total cost estimate is $77,590,000; or an estimated $52,497,000 after state reimbursement.
Option 2‑A — Construct a new building but retain the current gyms and pool. The estimated total cost is $91,858,000; or an estimated $60,080,000 after state reimbursement.
Option 2‑B — Construct an entirely new building. The estimated total cost is $92,564,000; or an estimated $70,795,000 after state reimbursement.
Option 3 — A hybrid option with a new two-story academic wing. About half of the existing building would be demolished, but the other half would be renovated. The current gyms and pool would be retained. The estimated cost is $83,274,000; or an estimated $55,211,000 after state reimbursement.
In all the options, the school system’s administrative offices would be included in the Walsh building, thus eliminating the need for the current offices at 1111 Main Street.
The Previous Plan
In the spring of 2013, the BOE hired Silver/Petrucelli & Associates to conduct a study, which estimated it would cost $109.8 million to renovate and expand Walsh Intermediate School — an estimated $97 million after state reimbursement.
Two options were presented for Sliney Elementary School — Sliney could be renovated for $29 million; or the former Branford Hills Elementary School could be renovated and expanded to serve the Sliney school population at a total cost of $32.7 million, with the town’s share being $27 million after state reimbursement.
The school district has since given the former Branford Hills School back to the town, and the school is slated for demolition.
The Kosinski report in 1998 called for constructing a fifth-grade wing at Walsh and renovating the rest of the school, but the board at that time did not take action. The 88-page report estimated costs for an addition and renovation at $28 million, compared to a new facility cost of $49 million, according to 1998 figures.
Marcia Chambers contributed reporting for this story.
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