McCall EXpansion project

Background

The July 2017 School Facilities Master Plan (“Master Plan”) identified space shortages and deficiencies at McCall Middle School as an urgent/top priority. A ten-year district enrollment increase of over 17% has created a critical shortage of classrooms and other educational spaces. For example, a portion of the McCall library has been partitioned for instructional spaces, the cafeteria is very undersized for the population, and all teacher workrooms/meeting spaces have been converted to instructional use. A projected enrollment increase of over 150 additional students in grades 6-8 by the 2021-22 school year, as well as 21st century academic program improvements, requires more space.

The Master Plan calls for a two-phase expansion of McCall Middle School, with Phase I primarily a conversion of existing space and Phase II primarily new addition/s. Fall 2017 Town Meeting approved $1.45M for the completion of design and construction of Phase 1 and $187,500 for the schematic design of Phase II. Phase I design was completed in January, and construction is scheduled to begin late this Spring for completion in September 2018. The article submitted for Special Town Meeting on March 8 seeks approval of the funding needed to complete design and construction of Phase II for occupancy by September 2020. Project funding is further contingent upon the outcome of a debt-exclusion override question on the spring 2018 election ballot.

Phase II – key project scope elements include:

● Multi-story, six-classroom addition (originally envisioned at rear of Library Wing)

● Expansion of existing cafeteria to meet Life Safety Code occupancy requirements

● Lower-level athletic program team rooms and additional restroom facilities

● Renovation of under-sized former classroom into teacher workroom/meeting space

To facilitate September 2020 completion, 2017 Fall Town Meeting funded the schematic design of Phase II to better define a scope of work with a detailed cost estimate. Flansburgh Architects’ working group (“Working Group”) is nearing the end of Schematic Design and has prepared preliminary “Construction Cost” and “Project Cost” estimates. For floor plans and interior design concepts, click here.

the what & the where...

The core program components of Phase II from the Master Plan include: a multi-story six-classroom addition, expansion of the existing cafeteria, new athletic team rooms, and additional public toilets accessible from the exterior to support events at Knowlton Stadium and Manchester Field.

Overall Expansion Project Schedule

Thanks to the support of 2017 Fall Town Meeting, Phase I of the McCall Expansion Project is under way and on schedule for Fall 2018 completion. If funded, Phase II design work will resume in April and continue until the Phase II project is bid early in 2019. Construction will begin in early Summer 2019, continue during the 2019-20 school year and subsequent Summer 2020, and reach completion by the start of the 2020-21 school year in September. The overall project schedule for both phases of construction (from Fall 2017 Town Meeting) is provided, below.