Following is a message from Arlington’s Superintendent of Schools sent to the Arlington Public School Community on November 8, 2023.
Dear Arlington Public Schools Community,
Today, with the opening of Phase 2 of the new high school facility, we achieved another significant milestone in the future of the Arlington Public Schools.
Five years ago, the design of this new facility began to take shape. Numerous community and educator input sessions resulted in the vision of an educational environment with flexible and inclusive learning spaces and integrated technology necessary for delivering the modern education our students need to succeed. With the completion of Phase 2, this vision is a significant step closer to fruition with three-quarters of the new facility now complete.
The new AHS wing features:
- Student Center, a combination of collaborative, learning and social spaces which includes the Forum Stairs, Library, Learning Center, Cafeteria, Student Cafe/Store, Outdoor Learning Courtyard, Discourse Lab, Immersion Lab and the Mass. Ave. and Field entrance lobbies
- Humanities wing with 44 general classrooms and 2 FACS (Family and Consumer Sciences) classrooms
- Student Counseling Center
Completion of Phase 2 also encompasses the opening of the new school district offices (including the new Welcome Center and the School Committee Room). Arlington’s inclusion-based Menotomy Preschool, which has resided at their temporary home on Irving Street for the past 3 years, is expected to move back to the AHS facility and open to students after the winter break in early January. The new preschool includes a separate and secure entry, age-appropriate interior classrooms and a dedicated exterior playspace.
The scope and complexity of this four-phased project is significant. During Phase 2, the AHS Building Committee and project partners faced supply chain and weather delays which resulted in a three month delay in the anticipated completion of the facility. Phase 3 construction of the Athletics wing is already underway and is expected to be complete in December 2024. The fourth and final phase of the project includes construction of two additional synthetic turf multi-sport fields and a Minuteman Bikeway connector and is anticipated to be completed by September 2025.
The new high school is designed to be an active community hub, engaging and inviting multi-generational uses and programming. After Menotomy Preschool opens, we plan to offer parents and community members tours of the new spaces. For more information on the AHS Building Project, I encourage you to visit www.ahsbuilding.org. Thank you for your partnership during this exciting time in Arlington Public Schools’ history.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth C. Homan, Ph.D.
Superintendent, Arlington Public Schools