Residents and staff offer input at first GMS forum

Justin Thibeault of Ai3 Architects leads participants in a map exercise at last week’s GMS building project forum. CPS photo

The process of designing a new or renovated Galvin Middle School began in earnest on Wednesday, September 27, as a group of approximately 40 residents and staff members met with representatives of design firm Ai3 and Project Manager LeftField to offer their input as part of a public forum held in the Canton High School library.

Besides going over current plans and upcoming deadlines, audience members and staff reviewed an enlarged site map of the GMS building and grounds, including the adjacent Hansen Elementary School as well as athletic fields and parking areas.

Designers got a sense from residents as to what they would like to see outside the building, and they also learned about current uses for the outdoor spaces, which include outdoor learning opportunities, athletics, summer camps, and walking trails.

Speaking at the last week’s forum were Jen Carlson, project director for LeftField; Tony Randall and Justin Thibeault, principals of Ai3; and School Superintendent Derek Folan. It was the first of four public engagement sessions planned over the next few months leading up to a December Mass. School Building Authority (MSBA) deadline for completion of a preliminary design plan and a decision on grade reconfiguration and whether the new middle school should have an auditorium or cafetorium.

The School Committee will also have to decide whether to renovate the existing building or construct a new building somewhere else on the site. The designers already know there are wetlands and a floodplain district near the current athletic fields, which rules out that area as a potential building site.

Opening Wednesday night’s session, Folan told audience members that the forums are part of the community engagement element that will help to inform the design and direction of the GMS project, which is currently in the feasibility phase of a multi-step process guided by MSBA.

Currently Ai3 and LeftField are working with Canton Public School staff on forming a vision of future educational programming and evaluating space in the current GMS facility as well as in the elementary schools in case the grades are reconfigured.

During the forum it was noted that the MSBA would not provide any reimbursements for turf fields or lights. The overall MSBA reimbursement rate for the project is expected to fall somewhere between 40 and 45 percent of the total project cost, and a final decision will be announced sometime in the fall of 2024. A subsequent town meeting vote in the spring of 2025 will decide the fate of the project.

The task of designing the new facility, meanwhile, rests with Ai3 Architects, a Framingham-based firm that boasts a 25-year history of designing middle schools. Ai3 has done a mix of renovations and new building designs that include flexible assembly spaces, small-group breakout spaces, and outdoor learning spaces while also considering social-emotional learning needs and environmental impacts. As part of the design process for GMS, Ai3 will be seeking input from the Canton Sustainability Committee.

The remaining three forums will take place on Wednesday, October 25, Monday, November 20, and Wednesday, December 20, with meeting locations to be determined.

The October 25 forum will focus entirely on grade configuration options for the new middle school, specifically whether to add grade 5 or maintain the status quo (grades 6-8). The November 20 forum will include a follow-up on the grade configuration discussion and consideration of a middle school auditorium. The December 20 forum will include a review of input and emerging themes from the process.

“We are embarking on a great journey,” noted Folan, “and we want every member of the Canton community to be informed and have opportunities for input and engagement. We hope you can attend.”

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