Triton High school was built in 1970, opened in 1971, and it’s only renovation was in 1999, 22 years ago. Today, the school is decrepit. The roof is constantly leaking, the walls have grown rusty, and the utilities are ailing. Most of the classrooms are either uncomfortably hot or freezing cold, with few rooms having bearable temperatures. The concrete on the exterior of the school is cracked and water damaged. The school is behind most other 21st century schools in terms of design. 

There have been two proposals to fix the issues One is a renovation project that will fix most of the issues with Triton. The other proposal however is far more enticing. Rather than making small fixes that likely will not last long, there is an option to build a whole new school building. 

Of course, the biggest concern is how expensive a new building would be. A fair comparison to make would be with Pentucket’s new building, which is still in the process of being built. Assuming that the process will be roughly the same, it can be expected for construction to take two-three years. The cost for the Pentucket school was roughly $146 million. The cost for the new Triton building is estimated to be about the same, possibly cheaper due to the fact that the Triton building would likely end up being smaller. Judging by the sketches and design ideas for the Pentucket project, there is massive improvement aesthetically and functionally, which is something Triton High school needs. For a new school building, $140 million dollars is not a terrible deal.

Superintendent Brian Forget says that a new building could end up being more cost effective than simple renovations because Triton could be partly reimbursed the cost by the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Unless the project will be a long term solution, it wouldn’t be possible to partner with MSBA for it, long term being 50 or more years. By building a new, more modernized school, it would be possible to ensure that it lasts longer. Plus, if the project is a long term solution, then MSBA could help pay for nearly 50 percent  of the cost. So rather than costing nearly $150 million, it could be essentially halved, bringing the cost down to around $75 million. A new building would also allow the school to have a clean slate, one  that is based in the 21st century.

HMC Architects, a company that builds schools, has a list from 2018 with six 21st century school considerations. Such considerations include natural lighting, bright colors, flexible furnishings, collaborative spaces, tech integration, and hands-on learning. These are all things that Triton, for the most part, lacks. When taking a look at the new Pentucket school, one can see such integrations and considerations made in it’s design. Without such changes in overall design, it is possible that Triton will be left in the dust by other schools. 

Of course at first glance the small repairs seem like the obvious path to take. It seems like the cheaper option, and it has already been done before, back in 1999. So why do something different? While it does seem to be a safer and cheaper option, this isn’t exactly true. By simply replacing parts of the school that have issues, there is a good chance that over time, more and more renovations would have to be made, the time between each one likely shortening. Also, since the repairs would only be building on things that the last repairs did, this doesn’t allow for the school to change much. 

Building a new school allows for many different options for how they want to solve the issues, and modernize the school. It could have a better design to boost school spirit and how people view the school. The classrooms would allow for more engaging learning. The quality of water, heat, electricity, and many more utilities would improve. Even if the new building would cost more, in the long run, it could potentially lead to more money being saved, and for kids to have a better school building to receive an education from. 

Bode, Kelsey. “Pentucket Superintendent Provides Update on Middle-High School Building Project.” John Guilfoil Public Relations LLC, 11 Feb. 2020, https://jgpr.net/2020/02/11/pentucket-superintendent-provides-update-on-middle-high-school-building-project/. 

hmc_admin. “Designing the 21st Century Classroom: 6 Top Considerations: Thought Leadership.” HMC Architects, 17 Jan. 2019, https://hmcarchitects.com/news/designing-the-21st-century-classroom-6-top-considerations-2018-08-24/.