Committee approves space summary and educational plan; architects include auditorium, larger gym and additional labs in program

The Swansea School Building Committee voted unanimously May 15 to approve a space summary and educational plan that adds program elements the district requested, including a 510‑seat auditorium, a larger gym and expanded science and teacher planning space.

The approved educational program will be used to size options presented to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) and to cost the three principal approaches under study: repair only, addition/renovation and new construction. Finegold Alexander (architect) presented the space summary and noted where the program departs from MSBA baseline guidelines.

Architectural representative (Finegold Alexander) explained the program deviations the team will request from the MSBA: one additional science lab above the MSBA baseline, three teacher planning spaces (220 square feet each) in core curriculum, a 9,000‑square‑foot gym to allow two PE stations/cross courts, and a 6,600 net‑square‑foot auditorium programmed as a 510‑seat space. The architect said those deviations increased the building program to about 118,739 gross square feet in the current design assumptions.

Why it matters: The MSBA’s reimbursement formulas use standard guidelines for laboratories, gyms and core spaces; when a district’s educational program requests larger or additional spaces, the town typically pays the incremental (non‑reimbursable) cost. Committee members discussed that the auditorium is an add‑on the MSBA will not fund (the architect called it an “extra”), and that the committee should formally decide whether to include the auditorium before schematic design because removing it later becomes more difficult.

Specific program clarifications recorded at the meeting include: - The MSBA baseline typically provides three science labs for the projected enrollment; Swansea’s program adds a fourth science lab to meet curriculum needs. - The MSBA baseline includes limited teacher planning space; the district program adds three 220‑square‑foot teacher planning rooms. - The larger gym is sized at 9,000 square feet (standard MSBA middle‑school gym is 6,000 square feet). - The auditorium is programmed at 6,600 net square feet (about 9,900 gross with a 1.5 net‑to‑gross multiplier) and the firm estimated an approximate district cost of $11–12 million for that element as an unsubsidized add‑on.

School administrators stressed that the modernized library/media center and upgraded special‑education spaces were priorities because current facilities limit program delivery. As the district's representative put it, the project is an opportunity to “bring out of [students] the best that is in them,” language the team used when framing educational goals for the new spaces.

Formal action: The committee voted 7–0 to accept the educational plan and space summary as presented. The vote was by roll call; all voting committee members recorded aye.

Ending: The approved program will be the basis for schematic layouts and will be included in the PSR materials submitted to the MSBA; the committee asked the consultants to provide line‑item estimates for the elements that are outside MSBA eligibility so the town can evaluate incremental district costs.