School options: $29m and up

It was only a year ago that some Wellesley officials were disturbed that renovations to the town's aging high school might cost as much as $25 million.

This week, the lowest estimate for doing the least amount of work on the facility, built in 1938, topped $29 million. And options to build a new building range from $127.7 million to $145.6 million, depending on where it would be located.

These daunting figures are from a report that was to be presented to the School Committee Tuesday night after Globe West went to press. They are expected to launch a months-long debate pitting residents concerned about deteriorating educational facilities against those concerned about soaring taxes.

The architectural firm of Symmes Maini & McKee Associates developed a range of options and their estimated costs at the request of the School Committee:

Add 15 classrooms and perform limited renovations to comply with federal regulations regarding such matters as asbestos and access for people with disabilities. Estimated cost: $29.3 million.

Add 15 classrooms and do a ''full-gut" renovation that would include renovating each floor; all new heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems; new electrical, plumbing, and lighting systems; and new ceilings and floors. Estimated cost: $86.3 million.

Add 15 classrooms, do a ''full-gut" renovation, with upgraded athletic facilities and a new kitchen and cafeteria. Estimated cost: $113.3 million.

Build a new 306,000-square-foot high school building on the site of what is now the existing high school's parking lot. Estimated cost: $127.7 million.

Build a new high school building on a new site (for purposes of cost estimates, Hunnewell recreation fields were used as that site). Estimated cost: $145.6 million.

With a wary eye on a bulging grade-school enrollment, officials for some time have been talking about the need to expand the high school.

Last year, the school enrolled 1,130 students. Figures for the current year will be released next month, but projections suggest enrollment at the high school will reach an all-time high of 1,450 during the 2014-'15 school year.

Based on these projections, the School Committee has suggested adding 15 classrooms to the existing building. It also has warned that certain needed repairs and renovations have reached an ''urgent" status. Among those, which would be accomplished under a limited-renovation scenario, are roof repairs, accessibility for the handicapped, removal of asbestos, replacement of air ventilators, and repairs to fire alarm and other communication systems.

Talk of renovating or rebuilding gained steam over recent months as the state has revamped its reimbursement program to provide more money up front. It is by no means clear, however, how much money the state would provide.

The town's tolerance for tax increases was put to the test last spring when voters approved a $2.6 million override for the town's operating budget but turned down a request for $3.6 million, which would have kept services at the same level as the year before.

And just eight months ago, voters approved a $26 million debt-exclusion override to overhaul the aging middle school's roof, plumbing, boiler, and other critical features. Under a debt-exclusion override, the tax increase expires when the town finishes paying off loans for a particular project.

In a letter to residents this week, School Committee chairwoman Susan Jablonski predicted that the high school renovation, if approved, would ''represent the largest municipal project Wellesley has ever undertaken."

A Facilities Advisory Committee is expected to study the proposed options and make its recommendations to the School Committee in November. Jablonski stated that the School Committee would hold ''listening forums" in each neighborhood to explain the options and ''hear what Wellesley's citizens want and expect from our high school."

''Only after we hear all the input in total will the School Committee move forward with a project option and a request for funds at the 2006 Annual Town Meeting."

The town's new executive director, Hans Larsen, who is take the administrative helm on Monday, said his role is to make sure all options are scrutinized.

In Newton, architects are drawing up plans for a new 405,000-square-foot Newton North High School to accommodate 1,850 students, with an estimated cost of $104.5 million.