Follow-Up Q&A: Western High School & Baltimore Polytechnic Institute

A swing space is necessary to ensure the safety of students and staff during the Construction phase of the project. The goal for the swing space process is to minimize the amount of disruption experienced by students. To do that many factors are considered such as:

• Facility size and location
• Facility infrastructure for academic programming
• Enrollment numbers
• Distance from current school/impact on student commutes
• Access to regulation fields and courts

The move to a swing space will occur once construction work begins (approximately 24 to 30 months from June 2022). Until that time, City Schools will continue to complete routine maintenance work on the old systems. The school community would remain in the temporary facility until construction was complete (estimated construction time is 36 months).

Due to the population sizes of the schools, there is not a single swing location within City Schools’ current portfolio that could house both schools at the same time. Therefore, each school will have its own swing location. 

The following locations are the primary locations under consideration for swing sites, but additional sites could be considered:

• Northwestern High School (Window AC Units)
• Chinquapin Building (AC)
• Garrison Building (AC)

After swing spaces are selected and the Design phase has begun, the project team will prepare the swing spaces’ infrastructure for each school’s specific programming (Ex. CTE labs, computer labs, etc.). The goal is to create spaces comparable to the existing facilities taking into consideration the academic programming, so that there is minimal to no disruption. The swing space renovation budget is determined during the planning of the swing space.

Students who already use MTA, will continue to use MTA services. Students who received specialized transportation due to an IEP or approved status will continue to receive those services.

Student safety is a priority in every space where students are located. City Schools Police, school leadership, and the Central Office team will work together to ensure students are safe and schools are equipped with safety plans.

No, a college campus has not been considered.

The students who attend WHS and BPI live in a variety of different neighborhoods. The MTA is the primary method of providing transportation to secondary students and will continue to be the primary method for when students are in a swing space. Students who receive specialized transportation will continue to have that support.

City Schools provided upgrades to air filters or air purifiers during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. City Schools will continue to complete maintenance work on the current facility, but new funding cannot be applied until the facility goes through a complete renovation.

There are no plans to expand the Ingenuity Program into other high schools.

City Schools does not have a "hardship” transfer process. However, there are regular opportunities for students and families to consider transferring to other schools.

During the feasibility study (Planning) phase of the project, the 21^st Century School Buildings Program engagement team held two virtual community meetings, excluding the June 7 meeting, and recorded feedback submitted via the question logs. Additionally, eight meetings were held with the school staff to discuss the needs of both school programs; including one that was open to the alumni association.

Community feedback is important to this process. The most engagement for this project happens in the next two phases, Pre-Design and Design. However, the engagement team is available and will continue to have touch points throughout the process. The first graphic above details the major steps within each phase and when community or school input is collected or shared. All community input and feedback are welcomed; however, to be considered it must meet the Educational Specifications, which will be made available before the Design phase, and City Schools’ Design Standards. The second graphic goes further into detail about when and how the engagement team will connect with each stakeholder throughout the process. These are sample engagement activities and subject to changed based on external factors.

All feasibility presentations live on the Program website here. All meetings will be posted on our website calendar as well as on our social media accounts. If you register to attend a meeting, you will automatically be included in our listserv for meeting reminders and announcements. To reach a member of the engagement team, please reference the contact slide from any of the presentations.

The engagement team will provide input opportunities for the stakeholders on the building process. The school will continue to provide input opportunities for parents on aspects of school programming. The 21^st Century Academic team will engage with school leadership to continue to strengthen and enhance programming.

The 21^st Century School Buildings Program is working toward having a hybrid meeting option for future meetings. To reach a member of the engagement team, please reference the contact slide from any of the presentations.

Based on experience, student feedback comes best from those with lived experiences and can speak to the current layout of the building. Those students can aid in the efficiency of the proposed new project design. However, future students are always welcome and encouraged to participate in meetings and give their feedback and input.

Enumerable and unique lessons were learned from each 21st Century project that have and will continue to inform planning, design development and construction of this and future projects. Examples of project elements influenced by lessons learned include, furniture selections, finishes, fixtures, landscape designs, locations and sizes of windows, room adjacencies, building materials, and traffic patterns, to name a few.

The June 7th meeting had 94 attendees. The school, alumni association, families and surrounding community will continue to receive meeting information for participation in the upcoming phases.

There were numerous considerations reviewed including community request to retain spaces with traditional significance, HVAC issues, cost implications between the two options, and partner, alumni and community investments made in the existing building and site.

Slides 8 and 9 of the latest Feasibility Study presentation found here detail a complete list of renovation advantages.

Please see the above Project Phases with Major Milestones graphic. 

No, the current location has served both school communities well and is of importance to both school communities. The renovation of both schools must occur at the same time due to the infrastructure of the building.

No, the bond funding from the Built to Learn Act cannot be applied to work outside of the building property line. However, City Schools is working with the City and Department of Transportation to figure out how to address pedestrian safety through a range of solutions. City Schools is committed to working with the other agencies to come up with solutions to current and anticipated challenges.

Under the City Schools Design Standards all projects will be built to LEED Silver standards.

Windows must comply with material and performance standards in the City Schools Design Standards. The standards provide specifications to ensure optimal safety, performance, and comfort. The windows will also be tempered glass to reduce injuries if damaged.

Yes, these school buildings will be commensurate with top high schools in other counties. The buildings will support excellence in teaching and learning with flexible and adaptable space, create learning areas designed for interaction and collaboration, and provide technology-equipped classrooms, enabling students to meet today's—and tomorrow's—high standards, and will provide communities with a shared public resource that will enrich their neighborhoods.

Schools can identify building elements for repurposing. The 21^st Century Program will make every effort to preserve elements valued by the school.

In this renovation plan, corridor width is reduced to allow for larger classrooms and resolve ADA access issues. However, the final layout will be determined during the Design phase.

This project will not be a net zero school. Projects will be constructed to LEED Silver standards. During the latter stages of Design, this goal may lead to a higher certification. The current building has an excess of square footage, the plan includes eliminating excess square footage creating a more efficient and right-sized space for the programs.

The individual schools make programming decisions. At this time, there is no dedicated engineering class scheduled to meet with the design and construction teams. However, the engagement team will make specific efforts to include students in the engagement process throughout Design and Construction.

The Forest Park construction timeline was 17 months and the Lake Clifton Park Building construction timeline was 15 months. Please keep in mind the WHS and BPI project will consist of two school programs so the construction schedule will take longer.

The athletic fields and facilities are not a part of the renovation plan. There have been recent investments to the fields by community partners, and City Schools will continue to welcome conversation with external partnerships about any additional investments the community would like to make.

Yes, during the Design phase building elements can be identified for repurposing. The 21^st Century Program will make every effort to preserve elements valued by the school.

These items will be reviewed in detail with traffic studies and assessments. Once completed, the engagement team will review findings and potential solutions with project stakeholders.

The exact design will determine any space reduction. However, it is intended that a portion of the BPI lab building would be demolished.

All school construction projects must comply with City Schools’ Design Standards, which provide the minimal requirements for facility design and construction and the project-specific Educational Specifications.

Yes, this project is happening.

The Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) will publicly issue Request for Proposal (RFP) solicitations. Firms that meet the qualification requirements in the RFPs are welcome to submit a response.

The architectural and engineering (AE) and construction management (CM) selection process is open, competitive, and not limited to MSA’s existing AE and CM pools.  Information about the opportunity can be found on the MSA website at the time of RFP issuance.