AUBURN — The Auburn school district has initiated the first comprehensive evaluation of school facilities in nearly 20 years.
On Wednesday, the School Committee awarded Harriman Associates a $160,000 contract to develop a facilities master plan. The engineering and architectural firm will conduct an assessment of district facilities, including plumbing, roofs, heating and ventilation systems, and electrical systems in consultation with New Hampshire-based Energy Efficient Investments.
“The committee decided this work hadn’t been done, it needed to be done, and they wanted to be very thoughtful about looking ahead,” Superintendent Cornelia Brown said. “This is the best way to do that.”
Harriman Associates will also lead a space needs assessment and project future enrollments for each school, ultimately offering school officials master plan concept options and a recommended five-year capital improvement plan.
“One of the things we want to know is where is growth is taking place in the city, where do we think it will be in the next 10 years, (and) how do we want to invest,” Brown said.
The new Edward Little High School which is scheduled to be completed this year will not be part of the study.
Many of Auburn’s schools are more than half a century old. The oldest, Walton Elementary School, is approaching 100 years old.
Brown questioned whether some of these aging schools will be able to meet future needs of students. She said consolidating some of Auburn’s elementary schools will be considered in the review.
“That’s the other thing we have to look at: if we’re maintaining six separate elementary schools, is that the right way to meet the needs of our kids, first of all, and be reasonable and responsible to the needs of our taxpayers.”
In addition to consulting on the facilities assessment, Energy Efficient Investments is also in the process of evaluating and redesigning the Auburn school district’s energy system, according to Brown.
The facilities master plan is scheduled to be completed this fall.
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