Westport's $97 million middle-high school on schedule to open in 2021

by KELLY O'NEILL, NBC 10 NEWS

Wednesday, November 11th 2020

… the town of Westport is also replacing an aging school by combining its middle and high school.

"We're making tremendous progress. Most of the outside is buttoned up and a lot of work inside is taking place," said Interim Superintendent Thomas Aubin.

When completed by the fall of 2021, the $97 million middle-high school will be ready to welcome grades 5-12. The combined school will be saving the town money overall…

"The technology in this school is significantly greater than what we can offer at the current school," Aubin said.

The new school will have an emphasis on STEAM, or science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.

The ground floor will include a maker space, fabrication labs, and child care vocational spaces.

Outdoors there will be new athletic fields for soccer, field hockey, baseball, and softball, in addition to a walking track, tennis courts, and 300 parking spots.

As for the old high school, the town of Westport has created a committee to help find the best solution and has yet to decide.

Construction of the project remains on time and under budget, with no impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, Aubin said.

Full article and a video at 10 WJAR

New elementary school takes shape

The wing for the youngest students, on left, and the center section of the school, right. Photos by: Chloe Shelford

by Chloe Shelford - Jun 10, 2020

The new elementary school on Minot Avenue is suddenly much easier to imagine, as the majority of the foundation has been poured and steel beams draw the outline of the school’s two wings against the sky. 

The foundations and steel frame of the two academic wings of the school have been completed, and the foundation for the center of the school, which will house administrative offices, the cafeteria, gym, and innovation center, will be poured in the next week or so. 

The steel framing will be complete by early July, at which point contractors will get to work on plumbing and electrical work. 

The school, which will serve students in pre-K through the fourth grade, is set on more than 20 acres of land, and will have 350 parking spaces -- a project on a scale that is shockingly large in comparison to the old Minot Forest School. 

Additionally, the school will be surrounded by outdoor play areas including two soccer fields and two kickball courts. 

Rhonda Veugen of the New School Building Committee said that the school will also be a space for the community to use for events and programs. The common spaces of the building, including the auditorium and various meeting rooms, can be sealed off from the classroom areas for use in the off-school hours (and the whole building is air-conditioned). 

Construction work has been allowed to continue throughout the pandemic, and most of the necessary work has allowed workers to stay distant from each other and outside -- ideal pandemic working conditions. 

As the school is closed in, workers will take extra precautions, including wearing masks and glasses. 

The school’s ventilation system is designed in such a way that each individual room vents directly outside, rather than into a shared system that moves air throughout the whole building. While the ventilation was planned far before the pandemic, the design is one now being considered for many school projects still in the planning stages. 

The school is several weeks ahead of schedule, and well under budget. Bids came in at $12 million below estimate, and the interest rates on loans are at rock bottom, which will lead to further savings for taxpayers. 

Read more at Wareham Week

Wareham’s new elementary school contractor comes in $11 million under bid

The new Wareham Elementary School project was awarded to Providence-based Bacon Construction Monday night by the Minot Forest School Building Committee, a company that came in $11 million under the $90 million budget for the pre-K through fourth grade school.

By Mary McKenzie / mmckenzie@wickedlocal.com

Posted Mar 3, 2020 at 8:49 AMUpdated Mar 3, 2020 at 8:52 AM

WAREHAM - The new Wareham Elementary School project was awarded to Providence-based Bacon Construction Monday night by the Minot Forest School Building Committee, a company that came in $11 million under the $90 million budget for the pre-K through fourth grade school.

“Let’s keep it in mind that this is more than the entire budget of the town of Wareham, so this is a big deal,” said Geoff Swett, chair.

The committee voted unanimously to OK the contract going to Bacon Construction.

Read more at the Wicked Local