First Floor

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.

First Floor

Shops and common areas would be located on the ground floor. A subcommittee was formed to inventory the current equipment and furniture and as much of the material that can be saved from the current school will be moved over to the new one.

"As much as we can take from the old Taconic into the new Taconic, we want to take," McCandless said. "A piece of vocational equipment may last 30, 40, or 50 years."

Staff from each vocational department will be heading the effort to determine what to save and what to buy new through working with the consultants and visiting other shops. The MSBA allows $2,400 for furniture and $2,400 for equipment per student, limiting the amount of reimbursement for those items.