Triton facilities committee narrows concepts, asks architect for cost estimates

Triton Regional School Committee Facilities Subcommittee members on Oct. 1 reviewed six conceptual schemes from Habib & Associates for renovating Triton Regional School and asked the architect to produce a revised drawing and high-level cost estimates ahead of a follow-up meeting on Oct. 15.

The session, convened remotely under the governor's COVID-era open-meeting provisions, focused on how to address long‑standing facility needs — including security, circulation, and aging mechanical and envelope systems — without committing to a final design or a particular funding path. Kevin Provenger of Habib & Associates presented options that range from modest interior reconfigurations to larger additions, and emphasized that the drawings are conceptual illustrations rather than construction-ready designs: "These are ideas, not full building designs," he said.

The option favored by multiple members keeps the building footprint largely unchanged while reorganizing interior space. Option 3 would group middle‑school and high‑school administrative offices at a single secure entry, relocate the middle‑school media center into vacated space, and infill the high‑school double‑height media area to create an upper‑level media center and a downstairs multipurpose room accessible for controlled public events. Provenger described the concept: "So, option 3, I'll start in the administrative area...we would relocate the middle school administrative offices to this area here near the current entrance to the high school," and proposed permanent bleacher-style stepped seating to negotiate elevation changes.

Committee members said security and the ability to control public access were top priorities. Chair Matthew Landers said he was leaning toward Option 3: "I was gonna say, personally, I'm leaning towards option 3," citing the value of a single, monitored entrance and the creation of flexible multipurpose space. Several members added that combining administrative suites and improving sight lines would make the campus safer and easier to manage during events.

The architect cautioned the group that cost and MSBA participation would constrain choices. Using high-level assumptions, Provenger said planners commonly see roughly $1,000 per square foot for new school construction today and that the team would produce ballpark figures for renovation versus addition. Committee members cited a prior facilities condition assessment with a figure around $58–62 million and discussed a plausible range of $75–100 million to fully modernize the campus, acknowledging escalation since the earlier study.

Options 4 through 6 explored more substantial changes — including extending the courtyard, creating a black‑box theater, and relocating the cafeteria and kitchen — but members worried these moved into costlier territory and might reduce the district's eligibility for MSBA participation. Provenger flagged the trade-off plainly: larger additions improve adjacencies but add substantial cost and could reduce MSBA reimbursement if the district's certified square footage does not align with enrollment.

The committee also discussed reusing the existing outbuilding for athletics support (locker rooms, storage, conditioning space) and better siting of art classrooms so student work is more visible. Staff and parents urged practical, lower‑cost fixes for maintenance‑intensive courtyards and bathrooms, and suggested the outbuilding could be winterized and repurposed without full HVAC renovation.

As next steps, the subcommittee asked Habib & Associates for one more iteration that combines the preferred elements — broadly, Option 3 with Option 5's lobby ideas — and for high‑level cost estimates that include both necessary infrastructure fixes and the conceptual program changes. The group scheduled a follow‑up meeting for Oct. 15 at 09:30 a.m. and agreed to coordinate a communications plan to inform towns and stakeholders ahead of the December MSBA decision window.

Two procedural motions were recorded during the session: approval of the Sept. 13 minutes and a motion to adjourn, both passed by roll-call.

The subcommittee's work will continue with the architect's revised concepts and cost ranges; the Oct. 15 meeting is intended to give the committee data to decide whether to pursue an in‑house 'plan B' renovation or continue with the MSBA process.