Should new athletic fields be part of Somerset school project? Voters to weigh in.

SOMERSET — Voters will get a second shot at approving plans to make athletic fields a part of the ongoing new Somerset Middle School building project. And this time, one can argue, paying for the fields would not be a financial burden.

Earlier this year, the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) announced that Somerset was one of 31 state towns/school districts to receive a supplemental grant for unanticipated cost escalations. Somerset's supplemental grant is for $6,886,598 million. The current middle school project is for $85 million and the MSBA's original grant, paid in monthly reimbursements, is for $31.8 million.

The town's middle school building committee is finalizing an article, requesting funding for construction of athletic fields and for solar panel installation on the new school, for the May 20 Town Meeting. Voters had previously rejected a similar proposal, thereby forcing middle school outdoor sports teams to be bused to other town venues for home events since spring of 2023.

The supplemental grant money goes to the town, without strings attached, said Dan Tavares of CGA Project Management, the middle school project manager, and the town need not use it on additions to the existing project.

'Back to the drawing board': Somerset Middle School project being scaled back

‘Sports in middle school are a big thing’

Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Schoonover, a member of the building committee, said he hopes voters will see fit to use the supplemental grant for the natural grass fields. He said that due to transportation costs, a lack of home fields could lead to a reduction, and possibly elimination of, some fall and spring sports.

“We need to offer programs for the kids,” Schoonover said. “Sports in middle school are a big thing.”

Schoonover said the building committee has scaled back some of the original field plans, eliminating, for example, baseball dugouts and some fencing.

He estimated the committee's article proposal for fields and solar panels might come in around $5.5 million to $6 million, which would leave the town still pocketing $1.4 million to $900,000. “Our goal is not to use all $6.8 million,” Schoonover said.

Benefits of installing new solar panels

Originally, the committee planned to have the existing 10-year-old solar panels on the current middle school roof moved to the roof of the new school. He said that for less than the cost of transferring the old panels, the town could install new ones, producing the same amount of energy which benefits the town in terms of lowering the school's utility bill and providing income through energy credits.

'The reality is here': Two major Fall River area school projects set to break ground in 2023

The specifics of the solar panel proposal had not, as of last week, been finalized. Schoonover said the town could install the number of panels to match the current energy production or choose to install more for a 23% outage increase.

He said new panels should be good for about 20 years, and the town might be able to sell the existing panels.

Middle school project about 80% complete

Tavares of CGA Project Management said construction of fields could be added to the current project easily, through a “change order to contract”, a common practice in municipal school construction projects. He said field construction would definitely be less expensive if done, or at least started, while contractor Brait Builders Corp. is still on site, as opposed to later in time. The new middle school is scheduled to be handed over to the town on July 1 and be open for the 2024-25 school year.

As of last week, the current $85 million project, Tavares said, was about 80% complete.

'It’s a gamble': Somerset pitches new middle school building

Tavares, assistant project manager Mary Beth Carney, and Schoonover shared some interesting facts on the new school during a recent project tour:

Shape of things

While an original plan called for a T shape for the building, the building committee opted for the L shape to better work with the sloping topography.

3-2-1

The building, going from south to north, is three stories high, then two stories and then one story. The one story, at the north end, does contain high-ceilinged rooms such as the auditorium and gymnasium.

If you build it ...

Seating capacity for the gymnasium is 432, the auditorium 396 plus handicap seating.

Ambulance friendly

The health room is built on the perimeter of the building, giving it clear outside access, a plus for anyone in the room needing emergency transportation.

More than a cafeteria

The student dining area is designed to double as an education assembly area, with a large video screen and stair seating.

Yay! Split pickups

In contrast to the current middle school's very challenging student pickup set-up, the new school has separate pickup doors and routes for buses and cars.

Optical illusion

With the three-storied section of the new school so conspicuous along Read Street, many have assumed the new school is larger than the current. Negative. Dan Tavares, project manager, said the new school is actually a tad smaller.

Stack 'em up

The new school design features blocking, with bathrooms and science labs vertically aligned among floors. Tavares said this saved money and has made construction more efficient.

Don't invest in this hedge fund

The towering hedges along the east side (Brayton Avenue) of the school property may be in their final days, weeks or months. They severely obscure the view of the new building from Brayton Avenue near the Read Street intersection.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Voters get second shot at approving Somerset Middle athletic field plans