Is Barrington planning to build the Cadillac of middle schools?

In the past, some residents have voiced concerns about the total cost of the proposed new middle school and questioned whether Barrington officials could have built a more cost-efficient plan.

Local school officials detail current building's deficiencies.

"I don't like the idea of spending $68.4 million for a new middle school," said a longtime Barrington resident during an interview in the spring. "It's a Cadillac model, when a Buick will do."

Barrington school officials do not agree.

In fact, a recent analysis by the school district shows that the projected per square foot cost of the Barrington project falls within the range of 10 recent Massachusetts school construction projects.

Officials are estimating that the total project cost for Barrington will equal about $480 per square foot. The Massachusetts' projects, meanwhile, ranged from $415 per square foot to about $609 per square foot. (See list below.)

"The building committee has been vigilant in containing the costs of the project," wrote school committee chairwoman Kate Brody and superintendent Michael Messore in a recent letter to the editor. "We worked closely with the architects to reduce the original proposal — a 165,000 square-foot project totaling $85 million — to the current proposal of 142,500 square feet, not to exceed $68.4 million."

Barrington's plan — created by Kaestle Boos Associates and the building committee — includes a school that features collaborate planning spaces for teachers, student support suites (guidance, resource room, etc.), a television production studio, a robotics lab, a new gymnasium, fitness center and locker rooms, visual arts rooms, a space for band and chorus rehearsal, performance spaces, outside learning areas, and new athletic fields and courts. The design also calls for high-efficiency HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems, improved air quality and plenty of natural light.

Criticism of the project challenges that officials from the school committee and building committee should have set a price limit to the work before turning loose the design team.

"If you're going to bring in a firm, you're going to tell them how much you want to spend," said a resident in an interview this past spring. "They should have told Kaestle Boos what they could afford. … I think there's a lot of architectural foo foo in that plan."

School officials do not agree. 

Local administrators said the most recent design does not include "foo foo" rather focuses on the specific needs of educating students in the 21st century.

"The outdated layout of the (current) school and classrooms is not conducive to innovative models of collaborative teaching and learning," stated a recent press release from the district.

Officials also pointed the deficiencies of the current building, which include a leaking roof, cracks in the foundation, no fire sprinklers, air quality problems, and non-compliance with state and federal codes.  

Alternative?

Barrington officials shared the alternative option they are calling "Go It Alone."

Officials said that if the bond was to not pass, the district would have to "undertake a series of capital projects for infrastructure repairs, maintenance, safety, and code compliance."

The repairs, said officials, would cost approximately $11 million and would likely not be eligible for reimbursement. 

"The investments would stabilize the building systems and structures without providing any modernization of the educational facility," stated a release.

The $11 million would reportedly pay for electrical, plumbing and HVAC upgrades, roof and grounds improvements, ceiling, floor and wall work inside the building, and addressing the building's ADA non-compliance.

Comparing the costs

School officials took a look at 10 recent new school construction projects from Massachusetts to get a better idea of how the proposed new middle school project in Barrington measures up. The price per square foot is for the complete project, not just building construction:

Auburn Middle School 

Price per square foot — $443. 

Total square footage: 100,395

Enrollment: 560

Reimbursement rate: 58.61%

Construction start date: April 2014

New Beverly Middle School (Briscoe MS)

Price per square foot — $478. 

Total square footage: 231,509

Enrollment: 1,395

Reimbursement rate: 56.19%

Construction start date: Dec. 2015

Dearborn Middle School (Boston)

Price per square foot — $572.80. 

Total square footage: 128,304

Enrollment: 600

Reimbursement rate: 75.34%

Construction start date: June 2015

Clark Avenue Middle School (Chelsea)

Price per square foot — $497.52. 

Total square footage: 115,235

Enrollment: 670

Reimbursement rate: 80%

Construction start date: Feb. 2015

Caleb Distin Hunking Middle School (Haverhill)

Price per square foot — $415.55. 

Total square footage: 147,996

Enrollment: 1,005

Reimbursement rate: 78.93%

Construction start date: May 2015

Thurgood Marshall Middle School (Lynn)

Price per square foot — $505.91. 

Total square footage: 181,847

Enrollment: 1,100

Reimbursement rate: 80%

Construction start date: May 2014

J. Henry Higgins Middle School (Peabody)

Price per square foot — $436.82. 

Total square footage: 211,982

Enrollment: 1,340

Reimbursement rate: 56.16%

Construction start date: June 2014

Reay E. Sterling Middle School (Quincy)

Price per square foot — $609. 

Total square footage: 95,732

Enrollment: 430

Reimbursement rate: 73.22%

Construction start date: July 2017

Gates Intermediate School (Scituate)

Price per square foot — $459.64. 

Total square footage: 164,803

Enrollment: 710

Reimbursement rate: 44.06%

Construction start date: Dec. 2015

Mountain View Middle School (Wachusett)

Price per square foot — $430. 

Total square footage: 126,200

Enrollment: 800

Reimbursement rate: 57.93%

Construction start date: March 2014