No School Feb. 24-28 and SAU office closed Feb. 24.
Capital Planning
The presentation starts 1:02:10 into the recording.
On February 19, the District hosted a Capital Plan Information Session in the Morse Recital Hall at Oyster River Middle School.
Superintendent Shaps and NOVO Studio Architects shared capital planning initiatives for both elementary schools and answered questions about Warrant #5. Warrant #5 will be on the Durham, Lee, and Madbury ballots on March 11, 2025.
- Read Superintendent Shaps' February 20, 2025, letter to the community.
- Read Superintendent Shaps' January 27, 2025, letter to the community.
On March 11, 2025, Oyster River community members will be invited to vote on a capital plan warrant. Warrant # 5 reads as such:
ARTICLE 5.: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $ 530,922 for architectural and engineering fees for the expansion and renovations at Moharimet Elementary and Mast Way Elementary schools. The School Board recommends this appropriation. (Majority vote required)
The aforementioned fees are for architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and civil engineering services.
This warrant is put forward by ORCSD because:
- Moharimet School lacks classroom space. The current number of available general educational classroom spaces does not meet the enrollment demand to support our elementary class size guidelines. The objective is to have parity between both elementary schools' instructional space and at least four general classrooms for each grade level. As a result of enrollment increases this year, art was displaced from a dedicated classroom and is being delivered in the commons area. The anticipated need for one additional classroom next year will result in the loss of the music room and the disruption of music instruction.
- Inability to meet the needs of students with diverse learning needs. When students with IEPs, 504 Plans, tutoring needs, and ELL designations require additional services and instructional support as mandated by their respective plans, we do not currently have appropriate spaces at Mast Way and Moharimet schools to meet these needs. Our ad hoc solutions of using limited space, hallways, or temporarily unoccupied spaces do not ensure that students receive the optimal, focused, and uninterrupted conditions conducive to meeting the expectations identified in their individualized education programs.
- Importance of providing programmatic coherence. Our recent building conditions audit highlighted inadequate space to deliver services, interventions, and general instruction. At Mast Way, the cafeteria is at full occupancy based on square footage and there is no dedicated OT/PT room. Additionally, due to enrollment projections, we anticipate Mast Way to lose its dedicated Math and Science specialist room next year. Similarly, at Moharimet, there is no dedicated art classroom, OT/PT resource room, or tutor room. Insufficient conference room spaces directly impact the delivery of services and academic interventions and impede instructional collaboration.
- Need to ensure consistency and optimal learning conditions. Recent enrollment challenges and space limitations highlight the need for predictable, well-planned, and consistent decision-making to meet our desired student learning outcomes, enhance programmatic experiences, and provide the instructional space required to optimize learning. By addressing space limitations at Mast Way and Moharimet, we will ensure that both our elementary schools have adequate space to meet our goals for student learning, support optimal class sizes, and allow for personalized instruction and interventions well into the future.
Video Presentations to the ORCSD School Board
By NOVO Studio Architects
View NOVO Studio Architects' November 30, 2024, presentation to the ORCSD School Board. The presentation starts 1:44:15 into the recording.
By Director of Facilities Dave Totty
View Director of Facilities Dave Totty's December 4, 2024, presentation to the School Board. The presentation starts 1:10:15 into the recording.
Additional conversations were held during the following School Board meetings in 2024:
- April 12
- May 1
- June 5
- June 12
- June 20
- August 2
View the December 2024 Facilities Assessment of School Buildings report
Click on the image to view in a PDF.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please select among the options below to access the FAQ.
The proposed Warrant #5 would appropriate money to pay for architects and engineers to create plans and blueprints to prepare for a capital project expansion/renovation of Moharimet School and Mast Way School. If successful, the goal is to present a second warrant in the spring of 2026 with construction beginning in the summer of 2026 so that the building expansions and renovations will be available for the 2027-2028 school year.
No, this warrant is limited to funding the creation of plans and blueprints. A second warrant would be required in the spring of 2026 to move forward with construction, allow for breaking ground during the summer of 2026, and complete the project for the start of the 2027-2028 school year.
The discussion and consideration to add general classrooms at Moharimet and expand/renovate spaces at Mast Way and Moharimet began in the spring of 2024 as elementary school enrollment growth exceeded the available general classroom space.
At that time, Superintendent Morse initiated plans to investigate adding general classroom space at Moharimet. This led to a more comprehensive review and analysis of learning and programmatic spaces at Moharimet and Mast Way by NOVO Studio Architects during the fall of 2024.
The comprehensive building conditions review reinforced the need to add general instruction classrooms at Moharimet to meet enrollment and class size guidelines. It also reinforced the need to invest in renovating spaces dedicated to programs and services at Mast Way and Moharimet to provide adequate space to meet the diverse learning needs of students and accommodate the full range of educational experiences.
ORCSD needs to start engaging with architects, engineers, and other professionals in the summer and fall of 2025 to be able to move the project forward, address enrollment and classroom space needs for the near future, and complete the project for the start of the 2027-2028 school year.
If approved by voters, the projected impact on the tax rate for each $1,000 of assessed valuation is as follows:
- Town of Durham: $0.15
- Town of Lee: $0.23
- Town of Madbury: $0.27
The School Board has the option of utilizing local revenues to offset taxes.
Projections for construction and renovations at Moharimet and Mast Way are estimated to be between 8 and 10 million dollars.
This year, because of a higher than projected number of kindergarten students at Moharimet, we lacked enough general education classrooms to meet class size guidelines for grades K-4. To accommodate the total number of general classroom sections, art was relocated in the commons.
Based on projected kindergarten enrollment over the next four years and current grade size cohorts advancing in grade levels, we expect to continue to exceed the number of available general education classrooms required to meet class size guidelines.
Similarly, we experienced a higher than projected number of kindergarten students at Mast Way and expect full use of all available general education classrooms based on next year's kindergarten projections and grade level cohorts advancing in K-4. We expect Mast Way's general education classrooms to be at full utilization use for the foreseeable future.
In order to accommodate Moharimet's enrollment, the art class was converted to a general education classroom and was temporarily moved to the common area. If another section must be accommodated, we will have to explore options to deliver music on a cart in classrooms.
ORCSD has been repurposing spaces and moving programs to create additional classroom space. The next step would be to change the delivery of our programs, like music on a cart at Moharimet. Other possible options would be to raise our class sizes and seek additional space solutions. These efforts will continue next year if we are faced with the same enrollment pressure.
ORCSD has partnered with NOVO Studio Architects to perform a thorough physical assessment of Oyster River High School (ORHS), Mast Way School (MW), and Moharimet School (MOH) facilities and different options. NOVO Studio Architects has so far already performed three analyses:
- Existing conditions for the following facilities: ORHS, MW, MOH.
- Education space and programming: preschool, MW, MOH.
- Moharimet School classroom expansion conceptual design.
These analyses’ results were presented at the ORCSD School Board meeting on November 30, 2024.
NOVO Studio Architects principals also worked on the Oyster River Middle School design and construction project.
If Warrant #5 does not pass, ORCSD will have to extend the timeline for any elementary expansion and renovation projects beyond 2027-2028 and possibly face increased construction costs. Class size adjustments and significant changes in program delivery may be implemented.