School Committee Presents Field School Schematic Design

Superintendent Cheryl Maloney opened the School Committee meeting Monday night with a big smile on her face—and no wonder. She was about to introduce the presentation for the new design, which, she said, has been in the works since 2006.

"This is great news for the town of Weston," she said.

The schematic design for the school, which has been approved by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), calls for a new, one-story building to be built several hundreds yards from where the current one sits. 

Building a new school ends up being cheaper in the long run, said architect Jonathan Levi of JLA, the firm hired to design the new school.

Levi said the input he's gathered from students, teachers, parents, staff and Weston residents has guided his design to a building that will be more like an extension of students' homes, a welcoming place that fits in with Weston's rural character.

"It reflects the beauty of the landscape it's set in," he said.

The current plan slightly varies from but in the main, remains the same. The building has one story, with a gymnasium and cafetorium in a sunken level, like a walk-out basement, and a courtyard in the middle surrounded by two rows of classrooms.

Of chief concern to many has been what impact the new building will have on the traffic at the general Case campus area.

"We are not making [traffic] worse," but also not substantially any better, said Levi. 

Traffic flow specifically is being looked at in another, separate study, which includes the possiblity of a new roundabout, he said.

The new school will have parking spots dedicated for faculty and staff, with a few for visitors, and a separate drop-off area for buses and parent drop offs. 

This will also result in 86 dedicated parking spots for the library, up from its current roster of 59 spaces, said Levi. 

The plans also call for a few more spots at Country Elementary School and 20 dedicated spots for the fields off Alphabet Lane. Twenty-four spots from the paved area by the current Field School will also be retained, said Levi.

School Committee chairman Ed Heller said the costs for the project will be about $31.5 million, with $8.6 million of that scheduled to be reimbursed by the MSBA.

The funding is on the ballot for the town's special election on Saturday, Nov. 12, and will also need to be approved at Special Town Meeting on Monday, Nov. 14. 

A similar presentation about the Field School project will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at Town Hall, for those who were not able to make it on Monday night to see the plans.