In
January 2016, the MSBA (Massachusetts School Building
Authority) recommended and approved the Manchester Memorial School for
admission into the Eligibility Phase of the MSBA grant process. Being accepted means the MERSD Memorial
School has been identified as being
one of the neediest schools in the state (close to being out of options to
address the structural issues of the building) and a good candidate for the
grant program. The MSBA grant
program provides technical assistance and financial support (a minimum of 30%
reimbursement) for the planning and construction of a new/renovated
school.
Acceptance into the
program comes a critical time. As
determined by an independent review, over the next two years MERSD is facing over five million
dollars in costly temporary fixes.
Participation in the MSBA program will allow MERSD to work with the MSBA
team of experts to conduct a feasibility study to determine the most cost
effective solution for providing a renovated/rebuilt facility.
The Feasibility Study is estimated to
cost up to $650,000, of which 30% will be reimbursed by the MSBA. The
feasibility study will be funded through reserves with contributions coming
from three sources--MERSD, Essex, and Manchester. The cost to the towns is
determined in accordance with the capital allocation formula outlined in the
MERSD Regional Agreement.
The School Committee voted to move ahead with the Memorial School Feasibility Study on March 15th. The next steps require affirmative votes to fund the towns' portions of the study at each of the upcoming town meetings:
- Manchester Town Meeting April 4th @ 7:00 pm - Memorial School
- Essex Town Meeting May, May 2nd @ 7:00pm - Essex Elementary School
Background Information:
In the spring
of 2013, an elementary facilities assessment was conducted by Habeeb &
Associates. The study was performed at the district’s request to verify and to
provide additional information to an internal review conducted during the
2011-2012 school year. The Habeeb study
determined that each of our elementary school buildings has exceeded its useful
life and require a plan of action to address the structural and programmatic
needs of the district. The annual cost to maintain the Manchester Memorial,
built in 1951, and Essex Elementary, constructed in 1958, was projected to
increase significantly within five years. It was imperative that MERSD
formulate a long-term plan to address our declining elementary school
facilities in order to responsibly manage costs and to provide students with a
safe and environmentally sound learning environment.
Recognizing
that that this was important policy decision that had an impact on students,
parents, and the community at large, the MERSD School Committee launched a task
force/study committee to review the academic program and to gather public input
on possible solutions for our future course of action. The process concluded that “Based on the
learning from our discovery, the task force recommends maintaining the
neighborhood School model for the two elementary schools in MERSD. While there
is some traction and interest in the unified elementary model, the collective
consensus from a variety of community groups clearly points to the neighborhood
model.” For more information about MERSD’s elementary facilities planning
process and recommendations, please visit the Memorial
Building Project site.