What’s New with the New GHS? Site Review for School Location Still in Works

Word of a new Guilford High School (GHS) was all over the newspapers and Internet in the last two years, so what's happening today?

According to Board of Education (BOE) Chair William Bloss, the consultants hired for a feasibility site review, JCJ Architects of Hartford, are in the process of reviewing potential locations for the school, including its present site.

"In December, the architects showed the board scaled site maps and photos of three of four sites they are reviewing," said Bloss. "The architects noted that in the process of analyzing potential sites, they will consider existing and future road networks and access, environmental resources, flood plains, and utilities."

Other site considerations will include emergency access to sites, availability and acreage of land for sports fields, and ease of septic installation, for example.

Last year, the BOE approved a request for qualifications for a school site evaluation study. In 2008, the BOE echoed the recommendations of its facilities task force agreeing that two new schools, a high school and middle school, should be built anew or renovated in the near future. The unanimous feeling was that the high school be completed first while short-term "immediate needs" renovations at the Elisabeth Adams Middle School begin straight away.

The process to renovate the Adams School got underway last June after voters approved spending $998,750 for renovations and improvements in a referendum. The school, which houses grades 7 and 8, is located on Church Street and has approximately 600

students and 100 staff members.

For GHS, the issue was, if a new school was constructed, what was the most cost-effective, practical, and efficient location for it?

"The big question we want

answered is if we are going to build a new high school, we need to look at every possible option for its location so we can provide

answers to the public," said

Superintendent of School Dr. Thomas Forcella.

Bloss added that there have been queries from the community as to using the recently acquired East River Preserve (Goss) property for a new school. Under the agreements of the purchase, a certain amount of acreage was set aside for municipal use.

"There are all sorts of possibilities to be considered," said Bloss.

The next step for JCJ Architects, which designed Daniel Hand High School in Madison among other area educational facilities, is to develop conceptual plans and cost estimates for each possible school location. Following the site feasibility study, the town could solicit bids for

architectural services.

"Once we determine a site for the high school, the next phase is a referendum of the schematic design," said Forcella.

A schematic design would allow the public to view the new school's design and layout. It would be

designed with energy efficient systems and new technology.

"We want the students and the community to have a sense of ownership of the new school," said Forcella.