Superintendent Calls for Middle School Expansion

BRAINTREE, MA - A new plan to address the space needs in the Braintree Public Schools has Superintendent Frank Hackett calling for fifth grade students to attend class at the middle schools.

Monday, Hackett proposed expanding the East Middle School renovation to include new space, conduct a similar renovation at South Middle School, and move the fifth graders to the middle schools in their own contained space.

The presentation expressed a sense of urgency from Hackett to solve the school district’s space need problems, proposing a 3-5 year solution for the issue.

“We don’t have time, our kids don’t have time to wait 8-12 years to figure this out,” Hackett said.

Such a move for fifth graders would be designed to create a “school ‐ within ‐ a ‐school,” according to Hackett.

Currently, East Middle School is slated for a renovation, but Hackett told the school committee and a crowded Morrison School auditorium that the Mass. School Building Association would reconsider support reclassifying the project for additional space.

“If we want to take advantage of this, we’re on an accelerated timeline. The MSBA wants to know if we want it and if we don’t, then it’s going to another school system,” Hackett said.

As it stands, an East Middle School renovation would bring 12-15 more classrooms to the school, along with upgraded or new programming and core spaces. A statement of interest for the South Middle School project would be submitted in April, with a feasibility study to be conducted over the summer.

Currently, the timeline for East Middle has a public meeting on Feb. 1 and a school committee vote a week later. The MSBA will consider the preliminary program design on Feb. 16, the Town Council will vote on the Mayor’s study on Feb. 23, and the MSBA will review the preferred schematic report on Aug. 11. If approval to the schematic is given on Sept. 28 along with final approval by Jan. 25, 2017, students should be in a renovated East Middle School by the 2019-20 school year.

On the elementary level, Hackett proposed additions to the Flaherty and Ross Elementary Schools to provide separate gyms and cafeteria spaces and implement flexible boundaries for future students. The move for fifth graders would also mean more space for the elementary schools, which with the exception of the Hollis School, have maxed out their space.

School committee members praised the presentation as a fresh perspective from the superintendent, who had completed his 100th day on the job prior to the meeting.

“It’s really great to get a fresh perspective with Dr. Hackett’s previous experience and certainly gives us something to put our arms around,” committee member George Kokorous said. “I feel like we’re starting to make that progress we’ve wanted to for the last couple of years.”

“You’re getting a taste of how complex these problem and solutions are. I think he does give us some options that are doable,” Vice-chair Tom Devin said.

Residents are invited to attend a public meeting on the East Middle School project in the school’s auditorium on Feb. 1 at 7 p.m.

Click here to view the whole presentation.