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Subcommittee
EHS Building Committee Questions & Answers
Q: If the new HS (Coop. Warrant Article #1) does not pass, does
this mean we won't get a new high school?
A: If the vote does not pass (60%), the "New High School"
proposal on Old Town Farm Road land will not proceed. We will
give up the option on that land so it will go back on the market.
The renovation of the Linden Street High School facility will proceed
as approved earlier. Renovation costs have gone up considerably
since then, so the board believes it will need to ask for more money
from the towns to complete the project. Dec. '02 estimate for
the full renovation is $49.1 million.
Q: What will happen to the Linden Street facilities if the new
high school is passed?
A: The ERCSB has come up with a recommendation as to how to
proceed with this situation. It is stated
here.
Q: Will the new school cost taxpayers more than the renovation?
A: Not much, if any. Here’s why:
1) The cost for the new school ($49.9 million) is almost the same
as the current renovation cost estimates ($49.1 million).
2) A large majority of the funding needed is already authorized
($39 million) and most of that is already in the tax rate.
3) Either the new school or the full renovation would add an
average of about 9 cents to the tax rate over what has been authorized
by voters.
Q: What's the difference in what it will cost me as a taxpayer
between the new high school proposal and the renovation project already
passed?
A: The tax impact of both projects is basically the same.
To see net tax impact chart, click here
(use back button to return to this page).
Q: What are the differences in facilities provided between the
proposed high school and the renovation project?
A: Both projects provide for:
- 1000 seat auditorium
- 2000 seat gymnasium
- 108 instructional rooms
- the new school would provide additional athletic fields:
a track (around the football field), a softball field, and 2
additional fields (5 instead of 3). (Both provide for another
baseball field).
The differences lie in the layout of the site and the building.
The proposed new high school is smaller and two stories - the renovation had to go
to three stories.
Q: What do you see as the advantages to the new school over the
renovation?
A: The Exeter Area Cooperative School Board, the school and
SAU administration and the Building Subcommittee all unanimously
support the new school project. Some of the major advantages
are:
- more land provides more flexibility to deliver a superior solution
(70 buildable acres vs. 25)
- efficient, flexible floor plan vs. a compromise through renovation
- parking (1000+ spaces vs. 447 - which is 200 less than existing)
- traffic safety - drop off and pick up area for buses and parents
and two access roads to site
- athletic fields (see above question) on one site so our 57 sports
teams will have adequate practice and play fields
- no disruption to existing high school students
- completion one year earlier (2-3 yrs. vs. 3-4)
- larger multi-use cafeteria space (2 lunch periods vs. four)
Q: Why not keep the high school 'downtown'?
A: The full renovation (440,000 square feet including SST)
would be 100,000 sq ft BIGGER than the new school, all on a site with
about 1/3 the buildable acres. Much of this is necessary because of
compromises to utilize existing facilities and to continue to hold
school during the renovation process. There is no cure for the
parking problems around the Linden Street site. The renovation
actually REDUCES parking by 200 spaces, to make room for more
building. The traffic problems on the roads around the Linden Street
site will only get worse. The renovation plan is not as good as new
school. The site plan not as good as at the new school. Both are
compromised because there’s not enough room on the site.
Q: Then why did you recommend the renovation plan three years ago?
A: There was no large piece of land available in a
reasonably central location at that time. Everyone involved
agreed that it would be great to build a new school but it was
eliminated as an option. We then came up with the best
renovation plan we could.
Q: What about road access to the new site?
A: The recent agreement with the Exeter United Methodist
Church provides primary access to the new school site directly off Route
27 instead of Old Town Farm Road. This is a very positive
development because it means:
- the new school will have two separate accesses (the Linden
Street site has only one) an important life safety issue.
- the roads leading to the new school (Route 101, Route 27 (old
101) and the access road are designed for the traffic, unlike the
streets of Exeter. Route 27 is now much less travelled than
when it was Route 101, eliminating any special safety issue.
Q: What about infrastructure costs to Exeter?
A: The new high school site is designed not to place any
special burden on municipal services. For instance:
- On-site water and septic means no cost to run town water and sewer
to the site.
- A fire substation was planned 10 years ago and doesn't depend on
whether or not a new high school is built.
- As confirmed by Exeter Police and Fire Depts., no increase in
budget, equipment or manpower is needed.
- The Route 27 access agreement includes turning lanes and a traffic
light at no town cost.
Q: Can the building cost go up?
A: No, not for taxpayers. The construction company signs
a "guaranteed-not-to-exceed" agreement so any overruns cost the company,
not taxpayers. On the other hand, the renovation cost is just an
estimate, not a guarantee.
Q: What about a parking garage at the Linden Street location?
A: If renovated, the Linden
Street site would have about 550 fewer parking spaces than the new
school (that's 200 fewer spaces than RIGHT NOW). The parking garage
would need about 600 spaces to make up the difference with the new
school and account for spaces lost to locate the garage. According to
the construction firm that is doing the parking garage for Exeter
Hospital, it costs an estimated $10,000 per space to build a parking
garage that size. The parking garage would cost about $6,000,000. A
parking garage would instantly become a magnet for criminal mischief
and misconduct and would require security whenever in use.
Q: Can we dissolve the Cooperative District or can a town decide
to leave?
A: The Cooperative District was formed six years ago and it
cannot be dissolved for 10 years from inception. At that time a
study committee would need to convene which would take another year.
Then it would have to be approved by the state board. Therefore,
it would take 5-6 years from now to make any change on which towns are
a part of the Coop. If
approved, a town could leave only if they paid all the debt they
incurred while a member (at the same student number rate). The
board believes the Cooperative Agreement is a superior solution to
providing a quality education to the six towns in SAU 16.
Q: Can I see what the new school will look like? What
about the renovation?
A: Images of Proposed School Project (as of Feb. 12, 2003)(use back
button to return to this page):
Renovation Project Images (use
back button to return to this page)
Q: Where can I see the presentation on the new high school?
A: The presentation is being given over 30 times during February
and March. To see upcoming dates, check
here. Rebroadcasts of the COOP Deliberative Session are also
being shown on EXTV (Cable Channel 22 in many towns). To see the
Rebroadcast Schedule, check here. The
presentation is
available on this website, but we recommend you try to hear the
presentation along with the slides to get the maximum information.
If you still have other questions you would like to submit, please
contact the EHS Building
Committee.
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