Site Plan

The proposal for a new Taconic High School was years in the making. Initial discussions ranged from creating a regional vocational district to whether the city should pursue a two-school or "one-school" plan that would close Pittsfield High School.

With no interest in developing a regional school, the city moved forward with what eventually became a focus on renovating or rebuilding Taconic. Last fall, the School Building Needs Commission voted to pursue a new school after cost estimates for additions and renovations came in at about the same price. Projected repairs at the school with no addition were in the $36 million ballpark; state funding was limited.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority reimburses up to 80 percent of eligible costs, such as for instructional spaces. The anticipated cost is $120.8 million of which the city will be responsible for $45 million.

The City Council will vote on whether or not to fund the project on Tuesday, April 14. Following that vote, the MSBA will have to approve its own reimbursement on Wednesday, June 3.

At that point, design development phase in which the consultants Skanska USA will work with city officials to further flesh out details and hire a construction manager at risk. That process is expected to include a daylong session for officials to sort through all of the proposals. Ultimately, the group will determine who they'll hire to head the project and enter negotiations. Pre-construction work will also happen during this phase.

Site Plan

The front of the proposed new school is oriented south, opposite the current school, which will allow it to be built while students are still attending Taconic. The older building would be demolished once the new is constructed.

The proposed school would also have more glass to enhance interior lighting and modern heating and cooling system. The current school's boilers are 50 years old and the HVAC systems are outdated, leading to dramatic variations in temperature from classroom to classroom.

Should the funding be approved, construction will begin in March 2016. A new road will be built just north of the current entrance to serve as access for the workers. The current Taconic High School will remain open and students will attend it for two years. Closing the school during this period would have resulted in the need for relocation of the students, which the MSBA does not offer reimbursement.

The construction will take over a parking lot, soccer field, and softball field. The rest of the playing fields will be open and used. School officials are looking at BCC, Doyle Softball Complex, and Reid Middle School as places for those events.