The HHU Project: the transformation of Wellesley’s three oldest
elementary schools
Over the next year or so, the Wellesley town will update and renovate Hunnewell, Hardy, and Upham elementary schools. The goal of this larger scale renovation is to provide facilities that meet students’ educational needs in a fiscally responsible manner.
“Based on a 2012 assessment of the elementary school facilities, [the elementary schools] were identified as having serious system deficiencies that could not be solved through minor renovations,” said Melissa Martin, a member of the Wellesley School Committee. “The schools would need to be substantially or entirely rebuilt. After significant deliberation and analysis of numerous options, the School Building Committee recommended an all-new option for both schools.”
Project one, the rebuilding of Hunnewell Elementary School, will be funded entirely by the Town’s taxpayers. Project two, the renovation of Hardy and closing of Upham, will occur in partnership with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), and the town will be reimbursed with state funds for up to 35 percent of eligible costs. Upon completion of both the Hunnewell and Hardy School buildings, town-wide redistricting will occur and the Upham School will close.
HUNNEWELL
Features of the New Building
The new Hunnewell building will be approximately 76,500 gross square feet (GSF). It will have 18 classrooms, two stories, and a potential enrollment of 365 students. Its central feature will be the three learning “neighborhoods” on each floor that contain a common learning area, a cloakroom, a toilet core, and a nearby special education space. These learning “neighborhoods” will be located on the quieter northern and easter sides of the school to take advantage of outdoor learning opportunities. The new building will also have a controlled entrance facing Cameron street to create a safe and secure drop-off and pick-up area. Finally, a roof designed to support photovoltaic (solar) panels will be built. The rooftop PV panels are estimated to provide thirty to 45 percent of the schools energy needs.
Overall Costs, Funding, and Move-in Dates
The estimated costs and funding for the Hunnewell renovation project is $62,835,000. The scheduled date for groundbreaking is July 1, 2022. Hunnewell students will be able to move into the new building in February 2024 and the project will be completed and closed out three months later in March 2024.
HARDY/UPHAM
The Hardy/Upham project has just completed the design development phase. After completing the detailed design, the new Hardy building is projected to be approximately 79,000 square feet. It will have 18 classrooms with spaces that could be used for a 19th classroom if needed. The new building will have a design enrollment of 365 students.
The renovation of Hardy and the closing of Upham will occur in a partnership with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). Currently, the project is in module six of the MSBA, which is schematic design. This module focuses on design development, construction documentation, and bidding.
“The project team has completed design development and is now moving into the 60% design phase,” said Martin. “The team will coordinate with the MSBA throughout the project to ensure that the project is meeting the requirements and expectations of the agreement with the MSBA.”
Overall costs, funding, and move-in dates:
The total project budget for the Hardy/Upham renovation project is $72,500,000 and the expected reimbursement from the MSBA is up to $13,500,000. Groundbreaking is anticipated to occur between February and March of 2023. Students will be able to move into the new building in August 2024 and the project will be complete and closed out in December 2024.
More about Upham
While the Upham school will continue to be in use through the 2023-2024 school year, it has been decided that the elementary school will no longer be part of the district. To determine the use of the site in specific, in the short to medium term, the Wellesley School Committee plans to form a committee to evaluate potential options.
Upham elementary school has been part of the Wellesley community for more than sixty years. The discussion involving the closing of Upham elementary school has taken place over the course of the past eight years. Mr. Jeffery Dees has been the principal of Upham for the last ten years and has been a part of this discussion from its beginning. He has been a member of many committees and spoke publicly at town meetings as Upham’s representative.
“This has been a long and tedious process. We have always anticipated the building would possibly close and that is disconcerting as a principal and the faculty would say they were always under pressure of not knowing the outcome,” said Dees. “When the decision was made, it was still sad news. It took some time to process the feelings and frustration, but the faculty at Upham is amazing, and they are looking forward to making the final years at Upham reflect the greatness that happens each day.”
The remaining Upham staff and faculty will be placed in the new Hardy building or in existing elementary schools in Wellesley. Additionally, the Upham SKILLS program (Autistic Program) will all be placed in the new Hardy building. The new Hardy is specifically designed for the SKILLS program.
Dees state that one of the positives of the project is the new building itself as the current building’s age and lack of space restricts the learning that is needed to be provided.
“The Upham building was built in 1958. To be honest...it looks like it! There is very little space in the Upham building, and the students and families deserve a first-rate facility,” said Dees.
Nevertheless, Upham elementary school stands to be core to many students’ childhood in the Wellesley community. Dees states that losing Upham will be a loss of a central learning community.
“The halls of Upham have seen so much over the years,” said Dees. “We have many families in which this is the 3rd generation attending the school. People get attached to their ‘home school,’ and it is a loss.”
For sophomore Rahim Tirmizi, the closing of Upham was disappointing news.
“It’s kind of disappointing. I spent 6 years [at Upham] from K-5,” said Tirmizi. “I don’t think I was ever gonna go back and visit, but it sucks that I don't have the option to do so.”
The School Committee has expressed commitment to maintaining custody of the building and site. This will enable the Committee to move toward building a seventh elementary school if needed.
STUDENTS and REDISTRICTING
The Hunnewell school will be constructed on the site where the current school is located. During the time of the construction, Hunnewell students will be hosted at Bates, Hardy, Sprague, and Upham by grade. The Hardy school will be constructed behind the current building allowing Hardy students to remain in their school building during the construction.
When the new Hardy school opens in fall 2024, the new district maps reflecting six elementary schools will go into effect.
Published in June of 2022, Print Exclusive of The Bradford June 2022 Edition. See in: InDesign/Print
“Based on a 2012 assessment of the elementary school facilities, [the elementary schools] were identified as having serious system deficiencies that could not be solved through minor renovations,” said Melissa Martin, a member of the Wellesley School Committee. “The schools would need to be substantially or entirely rebuilt. After significant deliberation and analysis of numerous options, the School Building Committee recommended an all-new option for both schools.”
Project one, the rebuilding of Hunnewell Elementary School, will be funded entirely by the Town’s taxpayers. Project two, the renovation of Hardy and closing of Upham, will occur in partnership with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), and the town will be reimbursed with state funds for up to 35 percent of eligible costs. Upon completion of both the Hunnewell and Hardy School buildings, town-wide redistricting will occur and the Upham School will close.
HUNNEWELL
Features of the New Building
The new Hunnewell building will be approximately 76,500 gross square feet (GSF). It will have 18 classrooms, two stories, and a potential enrollment of 365 students. Its central feature will be the three learning “neighborhoods” on each floor that contain a common learning area, a cloakroom, a toilet core, and a nearby special education space. These learning “neighborhoods” will be located on the quieter northern and easter sides of the school to take advantage of outdoor learning opportunities. The new building will also have a controlled entrance facing Cameron street to create a safe and secure drop-off and pick-up area. Finally, a roof designed to support photovoltaic (solar) panels will be built. The rooftop PV panels are estimated to provide thirty to 45 percent of the schools energy needs.
Overall Costs, Funding, and Move-in Dates
The estimated costs and funding for the Hunnewell renovation project is $62,835,000. The scheduled date for groundbreaking is July 1, 2022. Hunnewell students will be able to move into the new building in February 2024 and the project will be completed and closed out three months later in March 2024.
HARDY/UPHAM
The Hardy/Upham project has just completed the design development phase. After completing the detailed design, the new Hardy building is projected to be approximately 79,000 square feet. It will have 18 classrooms with spaces that could be used for a 19th classroom if needed. The new building will have a design enrollment of 365 students.
The renovation of Hardy and the closing of Upham will occur in a partnership with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). Currently, the project is in module six of the MSBA, which is schematic design. This module focuses on design development, construction documentation, and bidding.
“The project team has completed design development and is now moving into the 60% design phase,” said Martin. “The team will coordinate with the MSBA throughout the project to ensure that the project is meeting the requirements and expectations of the agreement with the MSBA.”
Overall costs, funding, and move-in dates:
The total project budget for the Hardy/Upham renovation project is $72,500,000 and the expected reimbursement from the MSBA is up to $13,500,000. Groundbreaking is anticipated to occur between February and March of 2023. Students will be able to move into the new building in August 2024 and the project will be complete and closed out in December 2024.
More about Upham
While the Upham school will continue to be in use through the 2023-2024 school year, it has been decided that the elementary school will no longer be part of the district. To determine the use of the site in specific, in the short to medium term, the Wellesley School Committee plans to form a committee to evaluate potential options.
Upham elementary school has been part of the Wellesley community for more than sixty years. The discussion involving the closing of Upham elementary school has taken place over the course of the past eight years. Mr. Jeffery Dees has been the principal of Upham for the last ten years and has been a part of this discussion from its beginning. He has been a member of many committees and spoke publicly at town meetings as Upham’s representative.
“This has been a long and tedious process. We have always anticipated the building would possibly close and that is disconcerting as a principal and the faculty would say they were always under pressure of not knowing the outcome,” said Dees. “When the decision was made, it was still sad news. It took some time to process the feelings and frustration, but the faculty at Upham is amazing, and they are looking forward to making the final years at Upham reflect the greatness that happens each day.”
The remaining Upham staff and faculty will be placed in the new Hardy building or in existing elementary schools in Wellesley. Additionally, the Upham SKILLS program (Autistic Program) will all be placed in the new Hardy building. The new Hardy is specifically designed for the SKILLS program.
Dees state that one of the positives of the project is the new building itself as the current building’s age and lack of space restricts the learning that is needed to be provided.
“The Upham building was built in 1958. To be honest...it looks like it! There is very little space in the Upham building, and the students and families deserve a first-rate facility,” said Dees.
Nevertheless, Upham elementary school stands to be core to many students’ childhood in the Wellesley community. Dees states that losing Upham will be a loss of a central learning community.
“The halls of Upham have seen so much over the years,” said Dees. “We have many families in which this is the 3rd generation attending the school. People get attached to their ‘home school,’ and it is a loss.”
For sophomore Rahim Tirmizi, the closing of Upham was disappointing news.
“It’s kind of disappointing. I spent 6 years [at Upham] from K-5,” said Tirmizi. “I don’t think I was ever gonna go back and visit, but it sucks that I don't have the option to do so.”
The School Committee has expressed commitment to maintaining custody of the building and site. This will enable the Committee to move toward building a seventh elementary school if needed.
STUDENTS and REDISTRICTING
The Hunnewell school will be constructed on the site where the current school is located. During the time of the construction, Hunnewell students will be hosted at Bates, Hardy, Sprague, and Upham by grade. The Hardy school will be constructed behind the current building allowing Hardy students to remain in their school building during the construction.
When the new Hardy school opens in fall 2024, the new district maps reflecting six elementary schools will go into effect.
Published in June of 2022, Print Exclusive of The Bradford June 2022 Edition. See in: InDesign/Print