School Building Committee Closing in on Stoughton High Building Decision

In about two weeks, the Stoughton High School Building Committee will choose to either renovate the old building or go ahead with a new school.

Of the initial options, four remain for the committee to choose from, two calls for renovation while the other two would call for a new building.

On Oct. 22, the committee met to once again review the final four options. Option B-2 and B-3 are the two renovation options which some new construction. In option B-2, there would be a new gymnasium which would feature the gym on the second floor with the locker room and weight room on the first floor. The old gymnasium would be demolished upon the completion of the new gym. During construction, about 25 modular classrooms would be needed.

Similar to B-2, B-3 would have a little more demolition and a new classroom wing with 20 rooms. The new room would reduce the amount of modular rooms needed to between six and eight.

Both renovation projects are projected to take about 40 months, about 10 more than a new building.

Carl Franceschi, of architect firm Drummey Rosane Anderson, said that this option would get the school closer to the educational goal of clusters of classrooms with some breakout collaborative space, teacher rooms, and small group rooms.

The gymnasium would still sit on top of the locker rooms on the second floor and new science labs would be constructed.

The front would be new, giving the look of new construction according to Franceschi.

The boomerang-shaped proposal is the first of two options to build a new high school. In the proposal known as C-1A, the two wings of the building are parallel to the property in order to allow for more property and a drop off/pick up area for busses. Cars would enter from Pearl Street with a new football field and track placed behind the school.

Option C2-A features a courtyard configuration with a square design.

The committee will decide which plan to endorse on Nov. 12. The project will then go for a vote at town meeting and the funding, which would be done through a debt exclusion, would have to be approved with a town-wide vote at a special election.

Click through the gallery above to see more info about the proposal.

Photo Credit: Stoughton High School Building Committee