It had been a long time since I had last wandered the halls at Rundlett Middle School. So long ago, in fact, that Nirvana was spinning in the CD player in my art teacher’s classroom, and my Doc Martens/flannel combination might just be coming back into style.
So when I was first offered the opportunity to tour the building again when I was elected to the Concord School Board, I was eager for the opportunity to take a nostalgic trip down memory lane. In case you, too, haven’t had the chance to visit Concord’s only middle school lately, here’s the spoiler alert: Not much has changed.
What has changed is the student-centered approach that focuses on peer collaboration, social-emotional learning and innovative STEM opportunities to engage 21st century learners. The almost-65-year-old building no longer matches the needs of our students or teachers, both structurally and educationally. In the 1970s, RMS served as a junior high school. Today it is a much more dynamic place that’s being limited by the existing structure.
While there have been additions and renovations since being built in 1957, the ailments and confinements of an aged building are glaring. The roof is well beyond its recommended lifespan and the mechanical systems are inefficient and in need of upgrade and replacement. Combined, these issues translate into leaking ceiling tiles, warped floors, and stained carpets.
The current electrical grid does not provide enough power to provide cooling capacity to the second floor of the building. While filtration systems meet air flow standards, the inability to cool and dehumidify the air means filtered air is circulated in from the hot rooftop. The original, single-paned windows are beautiful from a historical perspective, but they don’t help with providing insulation.
Student bathrooms need major renovations, but are unable to be completed without major financial investment to contain or dispose of asbestos deep within the walls. This isn’t to suggest that district staff have ignored the building, rather that the building is so dated that it would take an investment of millions of dollars just to complete the necessary functional upgrades. After doing so, they would still lack the programming needs of a current middle school.
While teachers continue to do amazing things in small classrooms, the infrastructure of the physical space isn’t making that job any easier from an educational standpoint. While the building was originally built with the intention of housing grades 7 through 9, grade levels within the building have since shifted to 6 through 8.
The junior high school’s educational approach was to prepare students for high school, whereas a middle school is much more focused on the social-emotional development of the individual child. The sprawling hallways that once served the purpose of a “mini” high school now make interdisciplinary, project-based, team teaching difficult. Common areas are few and far between and technological capacities in these areas are limited.
If you’re still feeling conflicted regarding the need for building a new middle school, come to the community sessions at Rundlett Middle School on Tuesday, June 8 at 6 p.m. or Saturday, June 12 at 10 a.m. The need is great, and sometimes it takes seeing the conditions with your own eyes to realize just how critical the immediate need is.
As a mom, a Concord graduate, and now a school board member, the case for building new is obvious. Our children deserve to spend their days learning in a safe and welcoming building capable of providing innovative and accommodating learning opportunities. The time is now.
(Danielle Smith is a Concord School Board member and Capital Facilities Committee chair.)