The news of a potential addition to Waltham High School has some School Committee members scratching their heads.
"We've always been aware of some kind of renovation to the high school," committee member Robert Cincotta said, but "I have never heard of anyone talk about an addition."
Superintendent Peter Azar says the school district is only exploring its possibilities. School officials are planning to submit a statement of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority to determine if the high school is eligible to receive state funds for upgrades. The deadline for submitting the statement is Saturday.
"There's no commitment to build at all. It just says to the state we're interested," Azar said.
On the list of needed improvements is the outdated science labs.
"Some of our lab space is inadequate. That's a major piece driving this statement of interest," Azar said and added that, "there's some programs we want to expand and the expansion of programs is related to our vocational programs."
Mayor Jeannette McCarthy said addition discussions stem partially from conversations with Waltham High School Principal John Graceffa and Director of Facilities John Bandini, who have expressed the need for upgrades.
McCarthy explained she is only exploring the possibility of an addition and the statement of interest is a first step in the process to have the school evaluated by state officials.
"If you're going to have a major financial investment at Waltham High School and not just updating it, I want to look at the big picture," she said. "It's a planning effort as well as a financial analysis ... if you're going to have a multi-million addition to Waltham High School, I think you should plan it appropriately at that site."
Azar said discussions about a possible addition will have to be ongoing between members of the School Committee, the City Council and the School Building Department.
"It's a discussion that has to occur in a couple of different forums," Azar said. "The decision to submit the statement of interest was presented to the School Committee and they voted on it in late September. What we did the other night was we brought that document back to (the committee) after having conversations with the City Council concerning an addition)."
In a statement sent to the City Council last month, Mayor Jeannette McCarthy said she could not justify an addition to Waltham High School "unless both (the former) Lawrence and Fitch schools are surplussed and any/all school programs are consolidated into the current six elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school campus."
The School Committee, with the urging of the mayor, voted last month to surplus both the former South Middle and Bright Elementary schools to the city.
A majority of School Committee members are in favor of moving the central administration offices from the high school to the former Fitch Elementary School. This would free up space at Waltham High. The Lawrence school building houses the district's maintenance department.
Jeff Gilbride can be reached at 781-398-8005 or at jgilbrid@cnc.com
