Westwood school project gets thumbs up from state
COURTESY OF WESTWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Westwood has gotten the green light – and a commitment of up to $18.2 million in reimbursement funding – from the Massachusetts School Building Authority for a new elementary school. The MSBA, which accepted Westwood into its program in 2018, approved the town’s project on April 14, subject to the town approving the project at Fall 2021 Town Meeting.
“This is a huge step,” said Maya Plotkin, chair of the Westwood School Building Committee. “We have had strong support from the community, including the Select Board, the Town Administrator, and other town groups and boards. In addition, residents have been fantastic about staying engaged and providing feedback on this project.”
Westwood School Building Committee mulls timeline changes for project
Wicked Local
Editor s Note: The following was submitted by Westwood Public Schools.
The Westwood School Building Committee met on Friday, Jan. 22, to discuss and vote on several major issues pertaining to the plan to build a new elementary school. The proposed school would consolidate students from the aging Hanlon and Deerfield schools into one new building which could accommodate as many as 560 students at peak enrollment.
The SBC reviewed the current project timeline and considered two options to the timeline that may be necessary due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The schedule originally called for the project to be presented at Westwood’s Town Meeting in May, where residents would be able to ask questions about the project and ultimately vote to approve its funding. A successful vote at Town Meeting would be followed by a ballot vote at a special election in June. The SBC discussed the cha