Marc Vasconcellos/The Enterprise
Student Tyler Sylvester, 16, of East Bridgewater, levels off underground pipes with dirt and sand.

SCHOOL WORK 

Students at Southeastern Regional High School help with building renovations

Work has begun on the $32 million expansion and renovation project at Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School in Easton, with students doing some of the work to hone their construction skills and save money on the project.

The Easton-based Southeastern Regional Building Committee originally applied for funding from the Massachusetts School Building Au­thority in 2007. Last December, the MSBA said it would reimburse 80 percent of the estimated cost. The school is responsible for the other 20 percent. 

Joseph Dutcher, Southeastern Regional School Committee member and chairman of the school building committee, pointed out that the cost would not be borne by any member towns. 

“We represent nine communities, and we don’t have to hit them with any assessment,” he said. 

The approximately $6.4 million remaining is to be covered by a long-term loan. Payments will come from a pre-existing school maintenance fund. “We are modernizing a 45year-old building, which the state likes, as opposed to knocking it down,” said Jim Tassinari, Southeastern Regional facilities engineer. 

The project will include making updates for handicap accessibility, renovations to plumbing and electrical systems, a new roof, new windows and the construction of a gymnasium. 

In addition, the old gym will become a new library, and the cafeteria will be expanded to better serve the school’s 1,200 students. One major way the school has been able to cut costs is by allowing trade students to work on the project. 

“Just about every shop is helping,” Tassinari said. “Students really like live projects.” 

The school is also adopting energy-saving techniques. 

“We are also going ‘green’ wherever we can,” Dutcher said. 

Dutcher said the school will install chilled water underground for air conditioning and said the school already reduced water consumption by 62 percent after installing its waste water treatment center. 

The building of the gymnasium, the biggest part of the project, will go out to bid at the end of the month, with a scheduled groundbreaking on Nov. 

30. Tassinari said the building committee would select the “lowest most qualified bidder.” Work will be done on the project while school is in session. 

“There will be some distractions,” said Dutcher, “But they will be minimal. There will be no disruptions of the learning process.” Construction is expected to be completed in September 2013.