First Steps to a New School
11.30.2017: SEE MEETING TIME UPDATE BELOW
Waverley Elementary School to be built by 2022
Teachers and administrators have begun meeting with the architectural team to develop a preliminary study to either renovate or build a new Waverley elementary school. The school is not slated for completion until 2022. This initial step in the feasibility study, an assessment of the existing school building and property with feedback from staff and input from the public will take place at a series of meetings over a five month period.
The first community meeting will be held Monday, December 11 at 6 p.m. in the Waverley ES Cafeteria.
“What we are trying to do is to capture all your knowledge about the building,” said architect Michael Blake, AIA, NCARB from Marks Thomas, the architectural firm for the project. “The benefit of these meetings is to hear from folks who use or maintain the building.” Goals were stated as better energy efficiency and flexibility for future expansion, especially for additional parking spaces.
“Waverley is more than a school. It is a hub for the community,” said Ana L. Mejia, Waverley’s community liaison. She notes that “parent involvement has skyrocketed.” Waverley is now in its second year of offering English instruction to adults in the cafeteria space and Mejia dreams of a parent resource center at the school where adults can learn how to use computers to fill out applications, conduct job searches, type up resumes, and learn the basic skills that will allow them to become self-sufficient. She said that although they now have monthly food drops from the school, if the new building was to include pantry space where she could store non-perishable food items, the school would be able to meet emergency needs.
Currently, Waverley ES is hard pressed to find the space to meet the needs of students. As of September 30th equated enrollment was 670 students, or 161% capacity, and more students are expected to enroll during the school year. Principal, Jan Hollenbeck and her staff must be creative in accommodating current needs. For instance, 3 and 4 year-olds are relocated to Rock Creek School with a more suitable playground while the vacated space at Waverley is being used this year to accommodate an art program.
Of particular concern is traffic congestion both at drop-off and school dismissal times. Hollenbeck said Schaeffer Drive is a major issue since the road is used by approximately 500 new apartment and townhouse units. “The school and county have worked together to make the area safer,” Hollenbeck says, “but because we need a better buffer between the sidewalk and the traffic, sometimes up to 20 staff are needed to monitor arrivals.”
“The building struggles with a sense of civic presence,” Blake said. “The first impression is that there are a lot of cars.” Constructed in 1970, the single story structure was scaled to neighborhood buildings at the time. The structure does not support a second story. Now surrounded by three and four-story developments, the school has lost its welcoming approach, according to Blake, and the entrance lacks a sense of identity. While there is plenty of space for new construction on the 18-acre site, the shape is described as “awkward” and partially within the flood plain for a tributary stream to the north of the property.
Blake said his team has been making a structural assessment and systems analysis for four primary concepts. The first is to renovate the existing building to accommodate 725 students. The second concept is to renovate the existing building and construct an addition to accommodate from 725 to 1019 students. A third, more ambitious option is to demolish the existing building and replace it with new construction to accommodate from 725 to 1019 students, and the fourth option is to demolish the existing building and replace it with new construction plus an addition to a remaining Waverley or Rock Creek School for 1019 students.
In preparation for a written review, the architectural team has commented on their initial building and site assessment. While the exterior walls, floors and security systems are described as being “in fairly good condition,” several other systems such as ADA accessibility, HVAC, electrical and lighting were all described as “approaching the end of their usable life.” This also includes the roof. Much of the technology is outdated. The walls, doors and windows lack insulation and are presumed to be a major source of heat loss.
Feedback from staff indicates that the health room cannot accommodate a wheelchair and has no storage space for medicines. The one-time open area, now converted into six classrooms with fixed partition walls, has auditory problems and less than adequate exits. These six classrooms are served by only two bathrooms.
As a next step, the group will consider educational requirements for the new school and recommend a space program.
