Updates on Center School Maintenance and Repairs in the Meantime

HVAC System 
Over the summer the steam traps in the oldest cast iron radiators at Center School were cleaned at a cost of $8,000 to make them more efficient and not overheat. According to Al Rogers, Hopkinton Public Schools Director of Buildings & Grounds “The last time we did steam trap maintenance was 2004. They recommend 3-5 years.” This should ameliorate, but not permanently solve, the problem of some classrooms being too hot in the winter. In addition sometime in the middle of the last school year some components of the unit ventilators were sent out to be rebuilt. It took several months to complete, because the unit ventilators are so old and hard to find parts for. This should ameliorate, but not permanently solve, the problem of some classrooms being too cold in the winter. A Request for Proposals (RFP) has recently gone out seeking a designer to do a study of existing conditions of the complete HVAC system at Center School to determine alternatives (with price construction timeline estimates) available for repair, upgrade, and/or replacement of the HVAC system. For any project over $100K, the state bid law requires a designer or engineer. Read the full RFP at http://ma.mypublicnotices.com/PublicNotice.asp?Page=PublicNotice&AdId=2519924.

Gym Floor Buckled from Water Damage 
As many parents saw at the Kindergarten and First Grade Open Houses this month, the Center School Gym floor suffered some water damage during Hurricane Irene. Read this article from the Crier for more details: Hopkinton works to salvage flood-damaged school gym floor http://www.wickedlocal.com/hopkinton/features/x1499151705/Hopkinton-works-to-salvage-flood-damaged-school-gym-floor#axzz1ZkRK3z38

Center School Window Replacement Cost May Go Over the State Limit and Require Full ADA Compliance 
A study of the existing window conditions at both Center and Elmwood School was done in 2005 by Gale Associates. At that time, it was estimated that the cost to replace the Center School windows would be $787,000. Read the full study at http://www.hopkinton.k12.ma.us/newweb2/PDF/GaleStudy.pdf. According to Ralph Dumas, HPS Director of Finance, at the September 30 School Committee meeting the fair cash value of Center School is approximately $2.7 million. According to the regulations of the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board, if the renovation work amounts to 30% or more of the building’s fair cash value, the ENTIRE building is required to be accessible. Right now only portions of the Center School building are accessible. Thirty percent of Center School’s value is $810,000. If both the HVAC System and Windows are replaced, it is very likely to cost over $810,000 and therefore require full ADA compliance. (Even if the work is done in phases the total cost of such work in any 36 month period shall be added together as per MAAB rules.) To be fully accessible, all Center School bathrooms would need to to have at least one accessible toilet and sink and all of the building’s floors would need to be accessible by elevator. Currently the 3rd floor (in the oldest part of the building) is not accessible by elevator and there is not room to install one without eliminating or shrinking rooms currently in use. Read more about Massachusetts Architectural Access Board regulations at http://www.mass.gov/Eeops/docs/dps/aab_regs/521003.pdf. Read the Cubellis Report 2007 ADA Survey of Center School: http://www.hopkinton.k12.ma.us/newweb2/schoolcommittee/strategic_docs/PDF/CubellisReport.pdf. (Some of the smaller non-compliance items noted in the Cubellis Report have already been taken of since this report was issued in 2007.)

Capital Asset Assessment Reports 
The School Committee had previously commissioned Capital Asset Assessment Reports from Habeeb and Associates Architects in 2000 and again in 2006. The School Committee is considering refreshing these reports at an estimated cost of $12,000 to both refresh the reports of schools already studied and to add a study for the High School, which had not previously been assessed because it was so new.
2000 Capital Asset Assessment for Center, Elmwood School and Middle School (at the time this building was both the HS and MS) http://www.hopkinton.k12.ma.us//newweb2/schoolcommittee/building_projects/Buildingprojects/CAPITAL_ASSET_OCT_00.pdf
2006 Capital Asset Assessment for Hopkins, Elmwood and Middle School http://www.hopkinton.k12.ma.us//newweb2/schoolcommittee/building_projects/Buildingprojects/CAPITAL_ASSET_FEB_06.pdf