What's Important in a New School?

Winchester Patch, June 6, 2012

Winchester is looking to either upgrade Winchester High School or build a new one.

• By Lindsey Davidson

The Educational Facilities Planning and Building Committee is asking the Winchester community what their ideal high school would be as part of a feasibility study.

The first public meeting was Tuesday nightwhere the committee outlined the project explaining this will be a process involving several steps over an extended amount of time. The current step is this study and asking many questions.

The overall goal of the project is to create a 21^st century school that has the flexibility for future teaching methods and support for special education and student work.

"The new facility should be the best in class facility to promote and enhance educational excellence in all program areas, with a particular emphasis on facilities for science, technology and the arts," Bob Deering, chairman of the committee said.

This goal may be met by revamping the current Winchester High School or building at a new site. You can view the list of potential locations with the committee's remarks about each here.

The committee is expected to send a preliminary design to the Massachusetts School Building Authority in October. This same board approved the Vinson-Owen School and will have the final say in this design as well if Winchester wants them to fund a portion of the project, according to the Daily News Chronicle. Chairman Jim Johnson said he believes the MSBA will fund 38 percent of the project.

Selectman Forrest Fontana said today’s fourth grade class could be the first students in the new/renovated high school, according to the Daily News Chronicle.

The committee will be meeting the second and fourth Wednesday of every month in the Town Hall to provide updates on its progress. Those updates will also be posted online. The next public meeting is Wednesday, June 13.