At Nauset High, The Future Is Now

EASTHAM – On a warm August afternoon less than two weeks out from the first day of classes, student soccer players make their way from the Nauset Regional High School athletic fields out to the parking lot. Meanwhile, the work crews, vehicles and noise that come with new construction barely faze them. For most students, it’s become part life on the Cable Road campus in recent years. But amidst it all, four brand new interconnected buildings stand tall above the ongoing work. On Sept. 3, students and staff will return to an immaculate 41,400-square-foot facility that represents the new construction portion of the Nauset High campus renovation. The new buildings feature a new art wing, science building, cafeteria, gymnasium and a 750-seat auditorium. They also include new administration and counseling offices, as well as classrooms to accommodate other disciplines such as culinary arts, business, entrepreneurship and athletic training. “It’s awesome,” said HoYin Yuen, one of the high school’s two assistant principals, during a tour of the new buildings Aug. 22. Voters in the four Nauset towns of Orleans, Brewster, Eastham and Wellfleet approved $131.8 million for the new campus in March 2021. Two years later, voters approved an additional $38.1 million for the project to cover additional costs due to inflation. The $169.9 million price tag is being partially offset by a $36.6 million subsidy from the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The new construction comprises 60 percent of the overall campus renovation. The G building houses a brand new gymnasium, complete with three basketball courts. A second level allows spectators to observe the on-court action from above. The E building will house the school’s new science classrooms, and the F building will accommodate new administration and guidance offices as well as the new auditorium. The existing N building, which was built in 1995, has been renovated. And while much is new, the buildings have touches of the old campus built into them. A mural from the old campus adorns a wall in the new gym. Outside, the same cypress siding that adorned the original 1972 buildings was refurbished and reused. Tours of the new buildings were given to outgoing seniors in June, Yuen said. “They were chomping at the bit to see what it looked like, because they won’t get the experience of accessing it [as students],” he said. Yuen said for students, the new buildings allow for flexibility of space to allow them to delve deeper into areas of study they may choose to pursue after graduation. “That was the one component we were missing, meeting the modern day need of what students will do post Nauset, whether it be as a scientist or an entrepreneur,” he said. “Having that experience of how to collaborate in flexible spacing. Being able to use the gallery to hang your work and present and do a discussion on it. I think that’s what our new space is facilitating.” The renovation has involved the work of many, but few have as much time and energy invested in the project as members of the district’s 17-member high school building committee. The committee’s chair, Greg Levasseur, said planning for the project dates back to early 2018. But while he said seeing a portion of the renovation go online is exciting, it’s not time to celebrate yet. “It’s been quite a leap forward, but I tell people we’re only halfway through the program,” he said. On Aug. 22, workers weaved their way in and out of the hallways of the new buildings. Speaking by phone the following day, Levasseur said school officials were still awaiting signoff on an occupancy permit for the building, a requirement before teachers can begin setting up their classrooms at the end of this week. Additional signoffs are also needed for plumbing, electrical, HVAC, fire suppression and other work before the building can officially open to students and staff, he said. “All of those things have to be filed with the architect and the building commissioner in Eastham so legally we can move into these spaces,” he said. As the new buildings prepare to open on Tuesday, work is well underway with the second phase of campus work. The existing A, B, C and D buildings will be renovated over the course of the school year, with work expected to be completed in late summer 2025. Finishing touches, including landscaping and cleanup work, will carry into early 2026. Levasseur said the existing walls of the four buildings will be replaced with new energy efficient ones. While the buildings will remain intact, the renovation presents its own challenges, he said. The C and D buildings, for instance, have lower ceilings, which Levasseur said could make things such as HVAC installation and duct work more challenging. “So there’s just as many struggles to get the old buildings up and running,” he said. When complete, the renovated A building will be used for traditional classroom space and will feature a new corridor to allow easier access to classrooms. The B building, which formerly housed the library, will be remodeled into a media lab with space for programming and classrooms on both floors. The C building, which formerly housed the high school’s art classes, will accommodate traditional classrooms. In the D building, the boiler room will be converted into classroom space, while the former auditorium will be gutted and remodeled into a 50- to 60-seat “black box theater.” The black box theater and other parts of the new campus are being designed for broader community use. The theater can accommodate small, local performances, while Yuen said the school could partner with other regional entities to offer adult education classes and programs. The broader use of the campus by the general public could help address concerns that have been raised about the new school’s size. In the face of declining enrollment, some have argued that the new campus is being built too large and at too great a cost. But Yuen and school officials continue to be optimistic that the new campus will attract more students from other districts through School Choice and keep in-district students from leaving to attend school elsewhere. Modular classrooms that have been in use by the school over the past two years will continue to be used this year while the remaining work is ongoing, Yuen said. But he said the new buildings represent the first glimpses of light at the end of a lengthy tunnel. As he sees it, the new construction represents the missing link that brings together what is already a high-performing school district. “I think it’s a first step toward having all of those components aligned,” he said. “We have the ethos already established. We have great kids, great teachers, a fantastic curriculum. I think just that structural piece kind of springboards us into the future.” Email Ryan Bray at ryan@capecodchronicle.com