As part of ongoing initiatives to become a Green Community, the Green Communities Study Committee recommends Needham adopt the Stretch Code, an energy saving modification to the building code. The Stretch Energy Code is intended to improve home and commercial building energy efficiency by 20% through implementation of a home energy rating system. Each new building, addition, or renovation project will be evaluated and given an energy index number. New codes would define the maximum permissible number thus ensuring that new construction is energy efficient. While this is expected to increase design and construction costs, as well as regulatory enforcement workload, town leaders hope for substantial positive impact on the Needham community. Energy efficiency will reduce energy consumption and utility costs, while increasing the quality of construction. New efficiency guidelines might be met by improving insulation, using Energy Star windows, designing windows for solar orientation, and using high efficiency lighting. Should the Needham Board of Selectman pursue Green Community designation, the Stretch Energy Code will come up for approval at November’s town meeting.

Change is afoot in the special education department of the Needham Public School system. These changes affect not only families with special needs children who move to Needham, but all Needham families. The district purchased vans to transport special needs students and will hire their own drivers rather than contract transport out. The cost savings allowed the district to add another classroom teacher. Needham Public School administrators are reviewing the results of a State Department of Education audit of the special education department and working on improvements. A report detailing the provision of services, parent engagement, and teacher professional development should be available in October. At 28% of the overall school budget, the special education budget must be closely monitored to ensure efficiencies for Needham families.

Since September 1, Needham has 7 new single family homes added to the market, officially welcoming the beginning of the popular fall market.  Needham’s real estate market offers a very diverse inventory of product, price, and neighborhoods.  If you are considering a move to Needham, be sure to check out the myriad of open houses in the next few weeks to get a sense of what is available and what is right for you as a buyer.

In the last six months, Needham’s average days on market for single family closed sales has been at 87 days.  Such a finite number of days on market for the town far exceeds some neighboring communities, and encouraging in considering future resale value and desirability.   This fall, the trend of quick sales is sure to continue, so don’t miss out on your future home!

With the start of the new school year, Olin College in Needham is in the news for its high rankings in the Princeton Review. Olin’s exceptional students and faculty enhance Needham by working with Green Needham and with students who teach engineering in Needham public schools.

Families considering a move to Needham may consider other private school options in town. St. Sebastian’s offers young men in grades 7 to 12 a Catholic independent day school option. Saint Joseph Catholic elementary school is available for kindergarten through grade 5 students and enjoys relatively small class sizes, under 20 students. The Monsignor James J. Haddad Catholic Middle School accepts students in grades 6 through 8.  Walker School offers state-of-the-art special education. Private Needham pre-school options include the Needham Children’s Center, Noah’s Ark Preschool, the Saltbox School, and Needham Heights KinderCare.

Families with grade school age children considering a move to Needham this year should be aware of the ongoing renovations at the Newman School, one of six elementary schools in Needham. A few years back, the antiquated heating and ventilation system in the school failed. While a temporary solution was put in place, a long-term solution of reasonable cost was imperative. The Newman School is now in its final year of renovating for a permanent solution. The $27.4 million upgrade will replace the heating and ventilation system and upgrade other infrastructure, including a kitchen renovation, ceiling and roof repairs, and technology infrastructure. Renovations continue through this school year with students in modulars and accessible areas of the Newman school. Repairs are expected to conclude next summer with the updated school back in business for the 2012-2013 school year.

When considering a move to Needham and a transfer from one school district to another, families want to be aware of how the old and new curriculums align. Two programs that both meet Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks do not necessarily align with common core standards or the presentation of material. Throughout Massachusetts, a variety of elementary math programs are used in teaching frameworks, including Everyday math (also called Chicago math), EnVision Math, and Go Math!

The Needham public schools implemented the Think Math! curriculum in their first and second grade classrooms. Think Math! Is a K-5 curriculum developed by Education Development Center, Inc. and originally tested in Newton, MA. Because of the success of the Think Math! curriculum in lower grades, Needham schools will now be implementing the curriculum in third through fifth grade classrooms. When changing between math programs, and other differing curricula, check in with the teacher to assess if transitional steps will be useful.

The Needham real estate market has been as hot as ever, even throughout this scorcher of a summer! We see buyers flocking to Needham en masse due to being a slightly more economic option than neighboring Wellesley with all of the same great schools and commuting options.  Consider the following:

In 2010 the average list price for a single family home in Needham was $840,063 with an average sale price of $805,643.  That is approximately a 95.9% list to sale ratio.

So far in 2011, the average list price for a single family home in Needham was $838,762 with an average sale price of $814,721.  That is approximately a 97.1% list to sale ratio.

These figures suggest that not only is Needham holding strong in these precarious real estate times, it actually shows signs of strengthening with an extremely competitive list to sale ratio and, in the past year, an average sale price nearly $10,000 higher.

After years of hard work and planning, Needham’s new senior center moves one step closer to reality. Recently, the Board of Selectman unanimously supported the $8.5 million building project for Needham Heights. Still under debate is the method to fund the project, within the levy or with a tax override. Needham Selectmen support funding the project within the tax levy. One expressed that the proposed design should not be minimized due to funding concerns.

Selectmen believe that the project is affordable without a tax override, although other town services, such as road maintenance, may be affected in the short term. Ultimately, Needham voters will decide at November’s town meeting. The entire Needham community, seniors, families, and those planning a move to Needham, should appreciate the selectmen’s determination to avoid a tax increase.

The Needham community continues to join together to celebrate the town’s 300th anniversary. The year-long festivities have brought diverse celebrations to town; next up, Needham Block Party Day. Building upon that summer neighborhood staple (the block party) the Needham 300 are encouraging Needham residents to plan all their block parties for Saturday, September 10. This town-wide block party will be enhanced by town criers bringing greetings to all. Following the day’s parties, Needham residents are invited to Memorial Park to enjoy a performance by the U.S. Air Force Band of Liberty. Needham 300 events will continue through the year, culminating with a Gala Celebration in November. If you are considering a move to Needham, join one of the events to see the community in action.

Dore and Whittier architects presented a plan for necessary capital improvements in the Needham schools at the June 21 school committee meeting. The architects have identified a total of $21.2 million in needed renovations to Hillside Elementary, Mitchell Elementary, and Pollard Middle Schools as well as $11.6 million in necessary capital improvements over the next four years. As both elementary schools are slated for expansion or replacement in the next six to seven years, necessary updates will be incorporated into those plans. Improvements to Pollard Middle School begin this summer. The architectural team identified a condemned bridge at Pollard that must be demolished, and a need to update emergency lighting and egresses and replace auditorium stairs. The Pollard science facilities must also be addressed; the architects recommend a 14,500 square foot addition with renovation of the existing space. These updates over the next decade will certainly be costly, but, ultimately, will improve the quality of education and safety at Needham schools.