During the past six months the Andover School Board has worked alongside Marinace Architects, a New Hampshire architectural firm, to develop, design and prepare a preliminary Facilities Study document.
The School Board entered into the relationship with Marinace to evaluate the current servability of AE/MS for its administration, staff, students and town. In addition, the Board was sensitive in examining how AE/MS would meet future educational needs and do so in a manner that respected budgetary concerns, community needs, and, perhaps most importantly, respect the longstanding relationship between AE/MS and the town of Andover.
Our primary focus was to establish the future needs for AE/MS recognizing that the original school building was raised in 1934 and updated in 1970 and 1990 respectively (by adding the front foyer and middle school wing), and was in need of a professional review. The outcome of the review would signify and recommend improvements and renovations to the internal and external structure.
The following five areas were mentioned and referred to during the March 2, 2015 Annual School Board Meeting. These areas are aimed at giving direction and guidance as the process moves forward.
• Access and Security: a) access to and from the school building by community members, staff and students, b) pick up and drop off for staff and students, c) vehicular traffic including all buses, d) internal and external lighting, security systems, pathways, e) layout of school classrooms, administrative offices and extra-curricular areas
• Space Needs: a) provide for the ebb and flow of student enrollment b) appropriate classroom space and upgrade of core facilities – library, cafeteria, gymnasium, c) special education areas, d) adequate storage space
• Code Compliance: a) fire, electrical, mechanical, environmental, b) ADA compliance, c) any new building, additions, or renovations will require current compliance or updating codes
• Operations and Maintenance: a) day to day maintenance of the facility, b) safety of internal and external spaces
• Environmental and Energy Conservation: a) upgrades to the current envelope, which would ensure greater energy, b) upgrades to internal systems for environmental conservation, c) conscious of environmental sustainability
Recognizing that the scope and magnitude of this study is a major undertaking, not only for the administration and staff of AE/MS but also for the town of Andover, the School Board will implement an AE/MS Facilities Study Task Force to convene in the spring of 2015.
The Board is excited to establish an AE/MS Facilities Study task force, which will be comprised of eight to ten townspeople in addition to Mark MacLean, Superintendent of Merrimack Valley School District, Jane Slayton, Principal of AE/MS, Michelle Dudek, Chair of the Andover School Board and Anne E. Swayze, Vice Chair of the Andover School Board.
The Task Force will delve into the preliminary report of Marinace Architects and over the course of a twelve-month time frame will produce recommendations on how to move forward to the Andover School Board, AE/MS, and the town of Andover. We enter this ‘task force relationship’ with excitement and anticipation.
While the Task Force will focus on long-term updates and improvements to the Andover Elementary Middle School, it is our expectation, as well, that the collective work among many will ensure excellence in education and a longstanding sense of belonging and pride to our town.
The Andover School Board is appreciative of the town’s continued support and confidence.