Wallingford‑Swarthmore reviews $80 million high‑school renovation concept, board to consider design contract

Superintendent Russell Johnston opened the facilities committee meeting and introduced KCBA architects and CHA to present a concept design and budget for the proposed high‑school renovation. The design team framed the work around a "warm, safe and dry" priority and a base‑bid that focuses on MEP, roof and safety upgrades while proposing academic additions and program‑area renovations.

The concept budget presented by CHA lists construction costs at about $80,000,000 and an overall project total near $99,000,000, with roughly $34–35 million allocated to MEP and basic envelope upgrades and another $9–10 million for large program areas (gym, auditorium, natatorium). "Construction costs are totaling $80,000,000," CHA representative Henry Mariano told the committee, and he described the figures as an early, order‑of‑magnitude concept that will gain detail as design progresses.

Why it matters: the renovation would be the district’s largest capital investment in years, affect how and when modular classrooms are removed, and influence near‑term borrowing and the capital plan. The architects described a phasing strategy intended to keep instruction going during construction — including using new classrooms created in the addition, converting existing admin space into classrooms, and, if needed, temporary classrooms in the library — and said a decision on design authorization will shape whether a substantive construction start is achievable in summer 2027 or pushed to 2028.

Key details from the presentation: KCBA’s concept reorganizes circulation, rightsizes science labs and life‑skills spaces, enlarges music and tech‑ed areas, and proposes a new secured main entrance along Providence Road. The team identified two bid alternates — a new athletics entrance and an auxiliary gym — estimated together at about $6.5 million; CHA recommended that those alternates be packaged and bid so the board can decide at bid day whether to accept them.

Committee members pressed the design team on sequencing and priorities. Several trustees said MEP, windows and roofing should take precedence because of long‑term operating savings; others urged moving the natatorium sooner because of its condition. The architects said natatorium work can be scheduled with some flexibility but cautioned that modular classrooms and the timing of addition work create constraints: modules typically cannot be removed until replacement classroom capacity exists in the addition.

Community members asked whether the proposed increases in music storage and reconfigured bleachers will meet program needs and sought clarity on temporary entrance and restroom access during construction. KCBA said the design doubles current storage and that temporary circulation and phased entrances will be part of the detailed design work.

Next steps: the administration said the board will consider a contract authorization with KCBA on April 27 to proceed with detailed design and that, if the board authorizes design, the district will continue monthly updates. The architects emphasized this is a commitment to design and engineering work; actual building bids and a construction notice‑to‑proceed would be at least a year later.

Provenance: transcript segments beginning with the presentation introduction (topicintro) and concluding with presenters’ next steps (topfinish).