Salem School Board Favors 3-Phase Bond For Woodbury School

SALEM, NH — The School Board has chosen a three-phase bonding approach to renovate Woodbury Middle School, with the total cost of the project approaching $50 million. As part of the renovations, some parts of the school will be torn down and replaced, while other parts will be renovated. The three-phase bonding method was seen as a way to avoid a spike in the tax rate all at once, as opposed to a one-bond method or a two-phase approach. Residents are expected to vote to authorize the bond during the town meeting in March.

The price tag to complete the project is expected to be just under $49 million, according to Superintendent Michael Delahanty. He said that in the three-phase bonding approach, property owners with a $300,000 home will see an $11.88 increase on their tax bill during the first year of the project.

School Board Chairman Michael Carney Jr. said he expects that with Salem's increased assessment amid the ongoing Tuscan Village development, it is likely that the impact of the project on the local taxpayers will be less than the current estimates.

During the Aug. 27 School Board meeting, Lance Whitehead of Lavalee Brensinger Architects noted several problems with the current Woodbury Middle School — nearly all of the windows do not shut properly, and many mechanical systems are pushing 100 years old, creating problems like leaking and sagging ceilings.

Music and sports currently share the same gymnasium space, which lacks acoustics and is inadequate for sports, said Whitehead. The new plan involves a new gymnasium being near the front of the building, with the rest of the school being able to be locked off from the gymnasium during community events like evening sports games or voting.

The designs also show separate areas for buses and parent drop-off and pick-up, to make traffic flow more efficient. A new main entrance at the center of the building will have modern security measures, and a sprinkler system will be added throughout the building. The revamped school will also be ADA-compliant, and asbestos will be removed.

Designs for the renovated Woodbury School show student commons running down the center of the school, with classrooms located toward the back. The classrooms will be located in a three-story area of the school, with one story per grade level. These spaces will be organized as pods, with team- and project-based learning in mind.

"I'm very impressed by this," said School Board Vice Chairwoman Pamela Barry about the design for the new Woodbury School. "I think it's turned out beautiful, it's capturing everything we need there."

About 40,000 additional square feet will be added to the school as part of of the proposed design. The biggest increase will be in unified arts spaces, such as for music and art, going from about 9,200 square feet to 17,190 square feet.

"Everything we want to build we want to build as flexible environments, because we know curriculums change and will continue to change as the world changes," said Whitehead.

Assuming voters approve the bonding method in March, construction would break ground in spring 2021 and would continue through fall 2023. Classrooms would be shifted to other parts of the building while construction at certain phases of the building take place.