2023 Winter Hill SOI — File 23-0577

WHCIS STATEMENT OF INTEREST 2023 The following Priorities have been included in the Statement of Interest: 1. Replacement or renovation of a building which is structurally unsound or otherwise in a condition seriously jeopardizing the health and safety of school children, where no alternative exists. 2. Elimination of existing severe overcrowding. 3. Prevention of the loss of accreditation. 4. Prevention of severe overcrowding expected to result from increased enrollments. 5. Replacement, renovation or modernization of school facility systems, such as roofs, windows, boilers, heating and ventilation systems, to increase energy conservation and decrease energy related costs in a school facility. 6. Short term enrollment growth. 7. Replacement of or addition to obsolete buildings in order to provide for a full range of programs consistent with state and approved local requirements. 8. Transition from SOI Vote Requirement I acknowledge that I have reviewed the MSBA’s vote requirements for submitting an SOI which are set forth in the Vote Tab of this SOI. I understand that the MSBA requires votes from specific parties/governing bodies, in a specific format using the language provided by the MSBA. Further, I understand that the MSBA requires certified and signed vote documentation to be submitted with the SOI. I acknowledge that my SOI will not be considered complete and, therefore, will not be reviewed by the MSBA unless the required accompanying vote documentation is submitted to the satisfaction of the MSBA. SOI Program: Core Program Potential Project Scope: Extensive Repair Possible New School Renovation / Addition Is this SOI the District Priority SOI? Yes School Name of the District Priority SOI? Is this part of a larger facilities plan? No If YES, please provide the following: ● Facilities Plan Date: N/A ● Planning Firm: N/A ● Please provide a brief summary of the plan, including its goals and how the school facility that is the subject of this SOI fits into that plan. N/A

WHCIS STATEMENT OF INTEREST 2023 Please provide the current student to teacher ratio at the school facility that is the subject of this SOI: 10.1 to 1 Please provide the originally planned student to teacher ratios at the school facility that is the subject of this SOI: 12 to 1 Does the District have a Master Educational Plan that includes facility goals for this building and all school buildings in the District? Yes Does the District have related report(s)/document(s) that detail its facilities, student configuration at each facility, and District operational budget information, both current and proposed? If YES, please provide title, author, and date of report in the area below. Please include a hard copy of these report(s)/document(s). Because the Somerville School Committee believes that no group of students should be disproportionately impacted by district enrollment policies and that all students should have access to support they need, by 2025, we will 1) conduct a district enrollment study to understand the prospective future population of the district and 2) create and begin implementing a strategy for school building development, school assignment, and programming that aligns with the district’s equity policy, and which is based on results of the enrollment study and the projected 10+ year plan for school facilities. We will engage students and families in this process to design a school assignment policy grounded in equity and in the values of our community. Is there overcrowding at the school facility? Yes. If YES, please describe in detail, including specific examples of the overcrowding. The Winter Hill Community Innovation School (WHCIS) has seen steady/increased enrollment especially in the specialized programs offered at the school, such as AIM for students on the autism spectrum and MLE/Newcomer Academy, which serve some of our highest needs and most vulnerable students. To accommodate existing educational programming and classrooms and provide these critical services, staff and administrators have had to install numerous movable partitions to serve as formal classroom walls that divide classrooms, which in addition to being inefficient and temporary measures also create sound bleeding between classrooms that negatively impacts students across these classes. Non-educational spaces such as closets, showers, and locker rooms have been converted to accommodate staff offices, food service spaces, or shared spaces for critical and often confidential meetings between counselors and students or families. For School Year 2023-2024 we are planning for the necessary addition of three new AIM classrooms at WHCIS but we do not currently have the space to meet those needs, particularly due to the nature of the specialized services and programs housed at WHCIS.

WHCIS STATEMENT OF INTEREST 2023 These programs cannot expand into other buildings as all available school buildings are being utilized. The Cummings School is beyond its useful life and significant structural issues in the older sections of the building render its continued use unfeasible without significant intervention. District staff in the building have already been relocated. All district administrative staff are now located in the Edgerly Education Building, an all-concrete and brick masonry building constructed in the 1930s. Has the district had any recent teacher layoffs or reductions? No If YES, how many teaching positions were affected? N/A At which schools in the district? N/A Please describe the types of teacher positions that were eliminated (e.g. art, math, science, physical education, etc.). N/A Has the district had any recent staff layoffs or reductions? No If YES, how many staff positions were affected? N/A At which schools in the district? N/A Please describe the types of staff positions that were eliminated (e.g. guidance, administrative, maintenance, etc.). N/A Please provide a description of the program modifications as a consequence of these teacher and/or staff reductions, including the impact on district class sizes and curriculum. N/A Please provide a description of the local budget approval process for a potential capital project with the MSBA. Include schedule information (i.e. Town Meeting dates, city council/town council meetings dates, regional school committee meeting dates). Provide, if applicable, the District’s most recent budget approval process that resulted in a budget reduction and the impact to the school district (staff reductions, discontinued programs, consolidation of facilities). The SPS budget is subject to approval by the School Committee, typically in April or May. The budget is then subject to final vote by the City Council during the City’s budget process that culminates in a series of public meetings and public hearings in June. Building and capital projects in the Somerville Public Schools fall under the purview of the City of Somerville’s Capital Projects management and overall Infrastructure and Asset Management Department. The City maintains a 5-year Capital Investment Plan that helps drive Somerville’s overall capital investment strategy and takes into account both internal and external fiscal factors. Though the City continues to have a strong bond rating and strong fiscal management and performance, we would be prepared to utilize a number of tools to finance a potential new

WHCIS STATEMENT OF INTEREST 2023 school building within our district that could include a combination of public municipal funds as well as the possibility of a Proposition 2 ½ vote. ____ GENERAL DESCRIPTION BRIEF BUILDING HISTORY: Please provide a detailed description of when the original building was built, and the date(s) and project scope(s) of any additions and renovations (maximum of 5000 characters). The WHCIS is approximately 95,000 SF and was originally constructed in 1975. In 2008, there were renovations to portions of the HVAC system as well as to portions of the external walls when certain vertical joints in the precast wall were re-caulked. In 2016, renovation and replacement included replacement of exterior windows and doors, removal/replacement of hollow metal doors and frames, ribbon windows, associated hazardous material abatement, and replacement of existing window treatment. 2016 renovations also included a partial roof replacement with removal/replacement of roofing, insulation, flashings, skylight, associated hazardous material abatement, roof drain repair, new overflow drains, electrical, and HVAC work associated with the new roof installation. The roof area is approximately 28,000 sq ft and on three different levels. In 2017 the City’s Public Space and Urban Forestry Division completed the renovation of the existing schoolyard to include a multi-level play area and a small artificial turf field that is open to the public outside of school hours. TOTAL BUILDING SQUARE FOOTAGE: Please provide the original building square footage PLUS the square footage of any additions. The WHCIS is approximately 95,000 SF and was originally constructed in 1975. Renovations have not added to the original square footage. SITE DESCRIPTION: Please provide a detailed description of the current site and any known existing conditions that would impact a potential project at the site. Please note whether there are any other buildings, public or private, that share this current site with the school facility. What is the use(s) of this building(s)? (maximum of 5000 characters). The building is located on a 85,864 SF lot, bordered by paved streets and a Catholic church. In addition to the 95,000 square foot, four story physical building, the lot includes a small tot lot, a large two-level play area and a small artificial turf field. The building is ADA compliant. However, due to existing layout and needs, access for some students and staff is shared by a loading zone and loading dock for deliveries which poses numerous safety, accessibility, and logistical

WHCIS STATEMENT OF INTEREST 2023 difficulties. Like most other schools in our district, WHCIS is located in a very densely populated residential neighborhood which makes space, access, and expansion extremely challenging. Lot size and neighborhood density among other factors do not allow for expanded or new educational spaces at this site. With projected increased enrollment in our district’s AIM program, WHCIS can no longer adequately meet the needs of our students. Yet our existing facilities are also unable to accommodate these needs due to a combination of lot or building capacity, current enrollment, availability of building stock, and building renovations. ADDRESS OF FACILITY: Please type address, including number, street name and city/town, if available, or describe the location of the site. (Maximum of 300 characters) Winter Hill Community Innovation School: 115 Sycamore Street, Somerville MA 02145 BUILDING ENVELOPE: Please provide a detailed description of the building envelope, types of construction materials used, and any known problems or existing conditions (maximum of 5000 characters). The building exterior consists of precast concrete panels with aluminum double pane windows. The window system in the school is original to the school, however windows have been more recently updated (2016-2017). The overall window system has become inefficient and is causing significant heat loss and strain on the heating system. The school must utilize additional electric baseboard heaters to assist the boiler system with its difficulty in maintaining a comfortable temperature throughout the heating season. Many of the windows do not operate properly and are, in many cases, fixed shut. On the interior, interim repairs and attempts to reconfigure spaces to provide optimal learning environments have been ineffective. Installation of temporary movable walls between classrooms means that students and educators must work in classrooms that are not soundproofed and often not effectively temperature controlled. Network and cellular connectivity is a chronic issue despite numerous attempts at system upgrades, greatly contributing to WiFi and Internet connectivity challenges, cellular service outages, and other interruptions to a standard 21st century learning environment. Current required maintenance includes: ● Cooling tower needs to be refurbished ● Caulking exterior joints (water penetration) ● Electrical system is past the end of useful life ● Air separator replacement (in process) ● Network/Wi-Fi update - WiFi network is not available on the basement level, where classes are ● Concrete work by rear stairwell

WHCIS STATEMENT OF INTEREST 2023 ● Ceiling tiles need to be replaced ● HVAC controls are outdated Has there been a Major Repair or Replacement of the EXTERIOR WALLS? Yes. Year of Last Major Repair or Replacement (YYYY) 2008 Description of Last Major Repair or Replacement: In 2008, certain vertical joints in the precast walls were re-caulked. Roof Section Is the District seeking replacement or the Roof Section? No Area of Section (square feet) 30,000 square feet Type of ROOF (e.g. PVC, EPDM, Shingle, Slate, Tar & Gravel, Other (please describe)) Mixed roof. Upper level is PVC membrane. Lower level is Ballasted EPDM. Age of Section (number of years since the Roof was installed or replaced) 48 Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair: Window Section Is the District seeking replacement of the Windows Section? No Windows in Section (count) Type of WINDOWS (e.g. Single Pane, Double Pane, Other (please describe)) Aluminum double pane Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair: MECHANICAL and ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS: Please provide a detailed description of the current mechanical and electrical systems and any known problems or existing conditions (maximum of 5000 characters). Gas fired forced hot air system distributed via duct work. Electrical system improvements are recommended and will be considered at a future date. The main electrical system in the building is original and is becoming aged. The subpanels are approaching capacity based on the increased need for technology in all areas of the building. There is no electrical backup generator on site. Boiler Section 1 Is the District seeking replacement of the Boiler? No Is there more than one boiler room in the School? No What percentage of the School is heated by the Boiler? Approximately 75% Type of heating fuel (e.g. Heating Oil, Natural Gas, Propane, Other) Natural Gas Age of Boiler (number of years since the Boiler was installed or replaced) 48 years

WHCIS STATEMENT OF INTEREST 2023 Description of repairs, if applicable, in the last three years. Include year of repair: Smaller routine repairs. No major repairs. Has there been a Major Repair or Replacement of the HVAC SYSTEM? The chiller and cooling tower were both replaced in 2008. Year of Last Major Repair or Replacement: (YYYY) 2022 Description of Last Major Repair or Replacement: Fan blades, shaft, bearings and motor. Has there been a Major Repair or Replacement of the ELECTRICAL SERVICES AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM? No Year of Last Major Repair or Replacement: (YYYY) N/A Description of Last Major Repair or Replacement: N/A BUILDING INTERIOR: Please provide a detailed description or the current building interior including a description of the flooring systems, finishes, ceilings, lighting, etc. (maximum of 5000 characters). Flooring is a combination of aged VCT, resilient tile, and carpet. Lighting throughout the school is in the process of being updated from standard fluorescent fixtures to LED. Walls and ceilings are finished with wall board and/or sheet rock throughout the building, most dating to the original construction of the building and in need of being updated to present day standards. Numerous movable partitions are being utilized to separate individual classrooms throughout the building. PROGRAMS and OPERATIONS: Please provide a detailed description of the current grade structure and programs offered and indicate whether there are program components that cannot be offered due to facility constraints, operational constraints, etc. (maximum of 5000 characters). WHCIS is the Somerville Public School district’s only Innovation School. It is home to 428 students in PK-8 and includes General Education classes, grades 6-8 Multilingual Learners (ELLs), and Somerville students with special education needs. It also is a home of the AIM program (Adapt, Include, Motivate) for students on the autism spectrum who need specially designed instruction. ● First language not English: 58% (Most common: Portuguese, Spanish, Haitian Creole, French, Vietnamese, Nepali, and Arabic) ● Economically Disadvantaged: 64% ● Multilingual learner: 36% ● Students with Disabilities: 26%

WHCIS STATEMENT OF INTEREST 2023 ● High Needs: 80% ● Student Population: 428 Of all of the district’s elementary schools, WHCIS serves the largest percentage of students with high needs and houses a number of critical programs for students with special needs. Coupled with increasing enrollment in the AIM program, we are in immediate need of additional classrooms. However, WHCIS does not have room to accommodate these increases. At present, none of our existing school buildings can accommodate this additional need and we are pursuing adjacent but off-site spaces to accommodate these needs. EDUCATIONAL SPACES: Please provide a detailed description of the Education Spaces within the facility, a description of the number and sizes (in square feet) of classrooms, a description of science rooms/labs including ages and most recent updates, a description of the cafeteria, gym and/or auditorium and a description of the media center/library (maximum of 5000 characters). The WHCS is a 95,000 square ft, 4 story building. The cafeteria is located on the first floor of the building, along with a production kitchen that serves the entire district, foodservice storage, afterschool offices, music classroom, drama classroom, a closet that has been converted to a counselor’s office, an OT/PT room, a custodial office, and the loading dock entrance that is also used as an entrance for middle grade students. The cafeteria is the only student-used space on the first floor that has windows. On the second floor, there are 12 classrooms, the main office suite, guidance room, and gymnasium. The third floor has 13 classrooms, including two BCBA offices that have been converted from a closet and a former classroom space and 3 Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)/OT offices that have been converted from closets or other spaces,, and two rooms for small groups. The fourth floor has 8 full size classrooms, 5 small classrooms, the school library, art room, computer lab, teacher's workroom, and 6 offices serving SLPs, bilingual counselors, and the Special Education Department Head. The library has skylights that leak during snow and rain, and it has heating issues. There is one dedicated science room. It is equipped with movable double lab tables, but does not have running water or other utilities at each table. The lab space is too small to meet current educational needs and standards. The educational experience at WHCIS is severely impacted by the internal building layout, which has been adjusted in many different ways to accommodate growing student and staff needs. WHCIS staff are often relegated to shared, non-soundproofed spaces for confidential conversations. Food and Nutrition Services staff work out of converted basement spaces, including two office spaces that have been converted from working showers. Staff have converted closets and non-educational spaces to offices and working spaces in order to meet their educational needs. There is no auditorium in the school. CAPACITY and UTILIZATION: Please provide the original design capacity and a detailed description of the current capacity and utilization of the school facility. If the school is overcrowded, please describe steps taken by the administration to address capacity

WHCIS STATEMENT OF INTEREST 2023 issues. Please also describe in detail any spaces that have been converted from their intended use to be used as classroom space (maximum of 5000 characters). Currently every classroom is being utilized, and non-educational spaces have been converted to provide necessary classes and services where classroom space has been exhausted. WHCIS houses the district’s meal production kitchen, responsible for preparing breakfast, lunch, and snacks for almost 5,000 SPS students every weekday. Space for food preparation has been overtaken for other educational needs including continued growth of AIM programming, and Food and Nutrition Services staff work out of converted spaces in the basement, including two converted showers and a converted locker room. The AIM program that serves students with autism and specialized needs continues to grow. To accommodate this growth, we need to add three new classrooms for School Year 2023-2024 but are actively pursuing off-site, private spaces to shift educational classrooms and spaces to meet this need. No current school or municipal building offers the necessary space or accessibility to accommodate the program expansion. MAINTENANCE and CAPITAL REPAIR: Please provide a detailed description of the district’s current maintenance practices, its capital repair program, and the maintenance program in place at the facility that is the subject of this SOI. Please include specific examples of capital repair projects undertaken in the past, including any override or debt exclusion votes that were necessary (maximum of 5000 characters). The Winter Hill Community Innovation School is under an aggressive mechanical preventative maintenance program including quarterly filter changes, and seal and fluid inspections and changes. The building is currently part of the city-wide building master plan review. The City completed the following improvements in 2020-2021 to improve ventilation: ● Replaced all MERV-8 filters with MERV-13 filters ● Installed duct-mounted humidifiers and UV disinfection bulbs ● Reconfigured ventilation in nurse’s suite for negative pressure and external venting ● Rebalanced system for passive operation ● Provided portable air filtration units for specific rooms In the course of the work above, JC Cannistraro LLC (JCC) and Thomas G. Gallagher Inc. (TGG) identified extensive evidence of significant deferred and under-executed maintenance including mechanical part failure. The City’s then on-call operations and maintenance contractor, Honeywell, addressed approximately 190 individual items in the winter of 2020-2021. Despite these investments, WHCIS failed to meet the City’s Covid-19 air quality guidelines (i.e., providing a minimum of 4 air exchanges per hour with 20% outside air OR providing a minimum of 6 air exchanges per hour with a minimum of MERV-13 filtration) and required portable air purification units.

WHCIS STATEMENT OF INTEREST 2023 The facility is maintained by the Department of Public Works. Scheduled maintenance of the HVAC system is by an outside contracted vendor. All other systems receive annual in-house maintenance during summer months when the facility is less active. Unscheduled maintenance is initiated by reports from school or custodial staff to a computerized work order system. Capital improvements such as the aforementioned roof and HVAC renovations are conducted as part of a continually evolving five-year Capital Improvements Plan. All projects are subject to funding availability. _____ PRIORITY 4: Prevention of severe overcrowding expected to result from increased enrollments. Question 1: Please describe the conditions within the community and School District that are expected to result in increased enrollment. Between 2000 to 2020, Middlesex County grew by 11.4 percent between censuses, gaining 166,606 residents. Over the same period, the population within the district increased. Gaining just over 3,453 residents, the District’s population increased by 4.4 percent between 2000 and 2020. The City of Somerville also anticipates that residential construction will result in approximately 2,748 new units anticipated between 2022–23 and 2032–33. Based on the historical rate of submitted and issued building permits, the District is expected to experience an average of 221 additional multi-family units per year over the next decade with the majority of the construction taking place over the next five years. These new units will increase the District’s anticipated student population accordingly. Question 2: Please describe the measures the School District has taken or is planning to take in the immediate future to mitigate the problem(s) described above. The School Department and City of Somerville have attempted a number of stopgap measures including minor roof repair, window repair, exterior envelope repair, and internal space renovations (restrooms) which have improved conditions in the Winter Hill Community Innovation School building. The City of Somerville continues to provide maintenance and support of the facility. We have continued to make temporary enhancements to the facility since 2016, and our most recent Capital Improvement and Assessment Report shows that despite these efforts and remedies, the building’s work as an educational institution has fallen short. It is because of this that we have proposed in our Capital Investment Plan (presented March 9, 2023) a new building for the Winter Hill Community Innovation School. Question 3: Please provide a detailed explanation of the impact of the problem described in this priority on your district’s educational program. Please include specific examples of how the problem prevents the district from delivering the educational program it is

WHCIS STATEMENT OF INTEREST 2023 required to deliver and how students and/or teachers are directly affected by the problem identified. We have seen a significant rise in AIM program enrollment over the last several years. For school year 2023-2024, we have 19 AIM students coming to WHCIS from the Capuano Early Childhood Center, the district’s public PK-1 school. This will require at least 3 new classrooms, and the addition of 3 teachers and 6 paraprofessionals. There is also a strong probability that we will need to open an additional PK classroom during the school year. Supporting these additional classrooms will require an AIM Department Head, Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), and Occupational Therapist. Please also provide the following: ● Cafeteria Seating Capacity: checking on this ● Number of lunch seatings per day: 6 ● Are modular units currently present on-site and being used for classroom space? No. ○ If YES, indicate the number of years that the modular units have been in use: ○ Number of Modular Units: ○ Classroom count in Modular Units: ○ Seating Capacity of Modular classrooms: ○ What was the original anticipated useful life in years of the modular units when they were installed? ● Have non-traditional classroom spaces been converted to be used for classroom space? Yes. ○ If YES, indicate the number of non-traditional classroom spaces in use: 13 ○ Please provide a description of each non-traditional classroom space, its originally-intended use and how it is currently used (maximum of 1000 characters): As we have added more classes, we have used all larger spaces for classrooms, resulting in the following: ● Storage room converted to an afterschool / instrumental classroom ● Locker room converted to an afterschool room ● Locker room shower converted to an afterschool office ● Closet converted to a shared office for 2 School Deans ● Electrical/IT room being used as a BCBA office ● Makeshift BCBA office space in a former classroom ● Classroom closets being used for 2 SLP Offices ● Split 1 office into 2 to house Counselor Offices - offices are inadequate space for groups

WHCIS STATEMENT OF INTEREST 2023 ● Split 1 office into 2 for Special Education Offices; they are too small to use for meetings ● SLP office has no heat or AC ● Please explain any recent changes to the district’s educational program, school assignment policies, grade configuration, class size policy, school closures, changes in administrative space, or any other changes that impact the district’s enrollment capacity (maximum of 5000 characters): Somerville uses a “Controlled Choice” Student Assignment Policy. When an elementary grade student is registered for school, their parent or guardian is asked to select 5 ranked choices of school for student placement. Every effort is made to assign students in their preferred placement based on several factors, including the current enrollment of the school, class sizes, their need for special education or English language learner services, and whether or not they have a sibling in the school. Every effort is made to accommodate caregiver preference within the system of priorities, educational seating capacity, and the district's fairness guidelines. Some students are assigned based on service needs. School placement depends on their programmatic needs and where that program is located. These students include students receiving special education services and/or receiving English language services. Placement in special education programs is determined by the IEP team meetings. Placement in an SEI program is determined by the WIDA language assessment. Specialized programs include: ● AIM - Capuano Early Childhood Center, Winter Hill ● SEEK - Kennedy School ● SKIP - Kennedy School ● Life Skills - Kennedy School ● SEI 1 - Argenziano, Healey, Winter Hill All available school buildings are being utilized. The Cummings School is beyond its useful life and significant structural issues in the older sections of the building render its continued use unfeasible without significant intervention. District staff in the building have already been relocated. All district administrative staff are now located in the Edgerly Education Building, an all-concrete and brick masonry building constructed in the 1930s. ● What are the district’s current class size policies (maximum of 5000 characters)? The School Committee agreed to the following maximum class sizes:

WHCIS STATEMENT OF INTEREST 2023 ● SEI 1 (K-8): 20 students ● Kindergarten: 25 students ● Grades 1-8: 26 students ● Grade 9-12: 28 students – PRIORITY 7: Replacement of or addition to obsolete buildings in order to provide for a full range of programs, consistent with state and approved local requirements. Question 1: Please provide a detailed description of the programs not currently available due to facility constraints, the state or local requirement for such programs, and the facility limitations precluding the programs from being offered. The school is ADA accessible, but accessible entrances, access points, and accessibility throughout the building pose challenges, especially given the high percentage of students with high needs, and students with special needs who attend the WHCIS. Accessible entrances share space with an active loading zone. Given the many space constraints and the overall facility needs, there are limitations on afterschool programming and out of school time despite a large number of WHCIS families requiring afterschool care, and a significant and increasing number of families applying for the district’s afterschool program each year. Facility challenges also create inadequate library/media space, and severely constrain classroom space and other necessary spaces for educational programming. There is a lack of necessary space for counseling services; social workers and counselors currently share spaces in storage closets to conduct confidential meetings. WHCIS contains the district’s largest production kitchen with specialized equipment not available at any other SPS school. In a typical summer, more than 30,000 meals are cooked, packaged, and distributed from the WHCIS cafeteria. These meals go to youth in school programs, Head Start, Somerville Parks & Recreation, and other community partners throughout Somerville. Question 2: Please describe the measures the district has taken or is planning to take in the immediate future to mitigate the problem(s) described above. To increase classroom space we have installed temporary wall partitions, converted administrative space to classroom space, and cleared and moved afterschool programming into a former storage room. To accommodate food service and food preparation we converted locker rooms, storage closets, and showers to staff office space, and we have investigated outside food vendors to help increase our capacity given existing space constraints.

WHCIS STATEMENT OF INTEREST 2023 Working with available space and options, we re-poured concrete to make entrances more accessible, however accessible entrances are still shared with active loading zones. To accommodate an increase in needed AIM classrooms for next school year we are actively pursuing rental opportunities with external, private organizations that will require a reconfiguration of classrooms in order for all students to access all programs and services within the school. Question 3: Please provide a detailed explanation of the impact of the problem described in this priority on your district’s educational program. Please include specific examples of how the problem prevents the district from delivering the educational program it is required to deliver and how students and/or teachers are directly affected by the problem identified. Classroom Inadequacies All classrooms have temporary, partitioned walls. Noise from adjacent classrooms constantly disrupts learning. Bolts that hold smart board projectors in place physically go through the wall and are visible in the adjacent classroom. 7th and 8th grade classrooms are too small and are difficult for students and staff to maneuver within. Service Delivery & Overcrowding Due to lack of space, four resource room teachers share one full-sized classroom. AIM staff (primarily related services) work out of converted closets and IT storage spaces. The OTs’ offices double as space for services AND the sensory room. There is no separate sensory room for students in AIM or general education. ELL specialists and the grade 6 SLIFE teacher teach newcomer ELL classes in small classrooms that are shared with other ELL specialists. For 7th and 8th grade ELL students, this classroom is on a separate floor, segregating students from their general education peers and others in their program. Because of the space layout and building conditions, all staff and administrators spend a significant portion of the school day responding to or proactively addressing a number of needs including accessibility, office and classroom space, rodents or insects, ongoing building repair, temperature regulation, and more. Conference and Office Space There is one functional conference room in the building. It is insufficient for meeting required and/or critical services including IEP meetings, Student Support Team meetings, middle school reading and math intervention, dean/parent meetings, and educator planning time. School counselors have small offices that are not sufficient for more than 2-3 students, affecting their capacity to run small groups. There is no space for interventionists or tutors; they currently use shared space but next year they will use closet space between classrooms.

WHCIS STATEMENT OF INTEREST 2023 Accessibility Middle school students enter the building each morning through a door shared with an active loading dock. Due to the layout of the school, this is the closest entrance that allows for middle grades to be in an outdoor space that can safely accommodate all students.