AVI SHAPIRA || EDITOR IN CHIEF
On February 1, Andover High School students and staff were able to learn more about the current plans for an AHS renovation.
For an hour after school, the architects were available in the cafeteria to answer questions about the project. There were also posters explaining the plans for the renovation, from new rooms to potential building layouts. Possible renovation plans include an addition to the current school building, a replacement of the school building with the field house and Collins Center kept intact, and an entirely new structure for AHS. Many students and staff stopped by and had a variety of opinions on the potential changes.
Overall, most students were excited that the project was being attempted and were enthusiastic about most changes.
The building layout plans also included adding more roads and parking lots at AHS. “The buildings are important, but the driving is the main reason to rebuild the whole thing,” said senior August Spewock. “Because it gets so crowded.”
“[Parking is] constantly an issue,” said senior Ava Warner. “And it’s a lottery system, which it shouldn’t be. There should just be enough space for everyone.” Currently, a student parking spot costs $500 for the year and not all students are guaranteed a spot in the junior or senior lots.
The members of the Garden Club were excited about a larger garden space included in the plans. “We grow food for the cafeteria. So if we have more garden space, then we can probably expand to growing the majority of the fresh products,” said Garden Club president Hannah Lehmann, a junior.
“[The building design] is cleaner, brighter… but more importantly, it has spaces that [can be used] for a lot of projects work,” said math teacher Karen Waters.
Students are also excited about the building plan’s emphasis on larger windows to increase natural light. “I know that there’s been an emphasis on mental health currently, and research has shown that during the winter people don’t get enough light,” explained Warner.
One aspect of the plan that led to mixed opinions is a potential campus-style design. In this plan, there will be multiple school buildings, and students will walk between them to their classes.
“I think that the extended wing in theory is nice,” said Warner. “But also in winter when it’s snowing and when it’s raining, I don’t want to have to walk across campus.”
Based on discussions with the architects, sophomore Shriya Bala explained the buildings may have “a hallway or something that connects them. So there’s an indoor part to it, you can choose whether you want to be outside or outside. But it all depends on the model.”
Despite overall excitement, there were mixed opinions on whether the renovation will actually take place.
“This is further than we’ve gone before,” said Waters, who was also on the facilities committee that met to discuss a potential renovation pre-COVID. “I’m hopeful for future students.”
“I’m not sure how optimistic I should be in terms of the funding,” added Shaheen. “I know there’s a big part of town that really wants to have a new school, but I know the reality of the numbers and that becomes more real and it affects people’s tax bills.”
Students also worry the project will be rocky. “I’m afraid this will take forever and it will go seriously over budget,” said freshman Jonah Ruisi.
Students also worried about preserving school history. When asked about replacing the Collins Center with a new auditorium, junior Jaylin Pasho said “No! So much history.”
“I love the Collins Center. I have put so much of my life into that space,” said Jarmo Latva-Kokko, a junior.
Despite its history and importance to many students, in a panel for parents recently, the architects explained that the Collins Center is problematic because it is built on wetland. As a result, it floods constantly, which is why it may be torn down during the renovation. There are multiple renovation plans, some of which include the Collins Center and some that will replace it with a new auditorium.
When it comes to school history, another consideration is a renovation versus a complete building replacement.
“I do really like the idea of preserving a lot of this school because I think this is a great building. [The addition plan] preserves some of the history of this school, which is very important to me,” said Latva-Kokko.
“I hate to see all the building materials that we currently have go to waste,” Waters added. “But I do think it’s more efficient in the long run to just do complete renovations.”
Regardless of opinions on specific aspects of the design, most people are excited for a building renovation and hope it will be successful.
“We’ve been waiting for a really long time and I think everyone, literally everyone, will benefit from it,” said Lehmann.
“I think that’ll be great for the town. I think Andover is a great town and I think people really support their school system… they’re really behind students having the best environment,” said Waters.
As the process continues, there will be more opportunities for community members to learn about the renovation plan and contribute their input. You can keep up with updates at https://andoverhighbuildingproject.org/latest-news/. If the plan goes through, eventually town residents will vote on whether or not to approve it.
“I would encourage [the senior] class [to vote on the plan], because you guys are either at or near the voting age. Even though it won’t directly affect you because you’ll be long gone before this ever happens,” said Waters. “I do hope that you guys all speak up for whether you’re here or not, when it actually happens.”
