The new Norwood High?

Edward Lee wouldn't mind if more high schools in the state looked like his. In fact, he thinks it would be a good idea.

"Why should 10 of us (principals) invent 10 different wheels?" asked Lee, principal of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School, referring to the state's Model Schools Program. "I think it makes more sense for the 10 of us to work on one good wheel and then all 10 of us can utilize that."

Timothy Cahill, state treasurer and head of the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which is charged with reimbursing cities and towns a portion of new school construction costs, is touting the program as a way to reduce the expense.

Cahill has pointed to Whitman-Hanson as the first model school to be used in the program given that it is a good example of a high school built relatively inexpensively - it cost $49.2 million to build four years ago - that has held up well.

Norwood educators and officials, faced with decisions on a proposed new high school, toured the Whitman-Hanson on Tuesday. The school building authority is scheduled to meet tomorrow and may formally recommend a model school be built in Norwood. (See related story on A1.)

Because of the recent spotlight shined on Whitman-Hanson as a model, that school has started giving tours at least twice a month, said Lee. The grade-9- through-12 facility has 1,254 students and 76 teachers.

Lee showed his Norwood guests around the campus and explained how the school works.

Whitman-Hanson is not considered expensive, yet most of the Norwood administrators commented on its beauty.

"(Norwood) students are going to come in and say, 'This is my school? Wow!"' said newly appointed Norwood School Committee member Courtney Rau. "It's like a college campus."

Several design elements help to cut Whitman-Hanson's cost.

The main entrance has a ceramic tile floor, wood details on the side of doors and windows and a large flat-screen television monitor. It makes the school warm and inviting, said Lee.

"The initial first impression (is) you walk in and say, 'This is a beautiful building,"' he said.

The second and third floors have vinyl tile, which is less expensive than ceramic. There are no wood details elsewhere in the school. Walls are lined with what looks like stone. Yet Lee said they are not individual pieces but one slab with lines cut into it to make it seem as if it has different sections.

The outside of the mostly-brick building uses the same design feature.

Classrooms remain efficient by using motion sensors to turn lights on and off. If students leave a classroom but forget to shut off the lights, sensors automatically turn them off after five minutes.

Similarly, lights do not go on until the sensors detect enough movement.

In the cafeteria, air conditioning does not activate until sensors perceive enough people are there to warrant turning it on.

Classrooms are all generally around 750 square feet - about 100 square feet smaller than the school building authority's guidelines - and almost every one incorporates natural light. Each classroom has a white board and a smart screen. Teachers have their own workstations with a computer and printer.

Lee did find one flaw: Science classroom desks and chairs were much lower than counters.

The 232,000-square-foot school has an impressive performing arts center, gymnasium and library.

The gym can hold 2,000 people and is generally where graduations are held. A walking track goes around the gym on the second floor. To save space, wrestling mats hang near the ceiling when not in use. Designers cut costs by making the floor leading into the locker rooms out of rubber instead of tile.

It is "excellent. It definitely incorporates what we're doing in physical education these days," said Ann Keegan, Norwood High's director of health and fitness. "The design is really good. The lighting is good. (On) the walking track, the flooring is beautiful."

The school uses the performing arts center to make money by renting it out to local groups. It can seat up to 860 people.

The stage is handicapped accessible. Yet Brenda Farulla, a Norwood parent with a child interested in the arts, was concerned it is too small. If Norwood goes ahead with the Whitman-Hanson model, the stage could be altered to be larger.

"I feel that the program is definitely something we need to consider for the taxpayers," said Rau. "There's room for growth and adjustment should we choose to use this model."

The school opened four years ago, yet many in the Norwood group commented on how new it looks. The hallway floors were spotless and barely scuffed. One visitor said the two-story library smells new.

"It looks good. It's in good shape," Keegan said. "Clearly, it's a good custodial staff, but I think (the school) was made well."

John Moretti, Norwood's interim school superintendent, was also impressed with the building, both aesthetically and from an operational standpoint. He said the program model would fit on Norwood's site and work with the school's capacity as well.

"I've been in education 36 years, and it's a magnificent building," Moretti said. "I would be very happy to have it in Norwood. After four years, you look at the floor (and) everything's impeccable."

Lee said he felt students appreciated and respected the school and therefore took care of it better than they normally would.

Rau said if Norwood chose Whitman-Hanson as its model, their new building would impress students and residents, and they would treat it well.

As for Lee, he said having a sound facility makes his job much easier. He doesn't have to worry about what needs to be fixed.

"When you take facility worry out of the picture, then it allows the principal to do what's more important - focus on the academics," he said.

Slideshow: more pictures from the school