From the School Building Committee –

Welcome To The MSBC Newsletter!

Wed, Feb 12 at 9:53 AM

We are working hard to share SBC news to all community members. You can help us by sharing this link to our email newsletters and/or directing people to sign up on our Town webpage. THANK YOU! https://conta.cc/3NBHyfc(2/5/2025) In this issue: Short video of 2/5 meeting February Update Neighborhood Captains

Next Meeting: SBC Meetings: Meetings take place in the Public Safety Building @ 7:00 PM in person and on ZOOM.All community members are welcome! Wednesday, March 5th 2025

The Dale Street School has been the location for the students of Medfield for decades. It was built as a High School in 1942 with a major addition added in 1962 when it became an Elementary School. It is now over 80 years old!The School Building Committee, created in 2023, is charged with figuring out whether the community wants to build a new elementary school or do an addition/renovation of the current building. It’s time to modernize our educational facility!

FEBRUARY UPDATE At the February meeting the SBC went through some of the administrative requirements in Module One of the MSBA process. There are many forms that the SBC will need to submit starting April 1, 2025.One of the first MSBA requirements is to create a School Building Committee. Medfield already created a school building committee (SBC) that has been meeting since January 2023. To comply with the MSBA’s guidelines for the makeup of a school building committee, the SBC will add two additional nonvoting members: a Local Chief Executive Officer (Select Board Member), and a Local Official Responsible for Building Maintenance. Enrollment Data: The SBC must present enrollment data to the MSBA. The SBC reviewed the enrollment study completed in the spring of 2024 by FutureThink. We discussed their low, moderate, and high projection numbers for the Dale Street School. Though no decisions were made, the SBC discussed at length what number might be best for a future building project with many members expressing support for using the higher projection number of approximately 500 students. If you are interested in understanding what is required in Module One please check out the MSBA website. It has a very detailed explanation of all steps. TOWN MEETING  One of the requirements in Module One is the town must successfully approve the money for a Feasibility Study. The Feasibility Study is in Module Two. At previous Town Meetings, the SBC received funds for a future Feasibility Study. We currently have 1.1 million. After discussing what Feasibility Studies are currently costing neighboring towns, the SBC decided that 1.5 million will be needed. At our annual May Town meeting there will be a Warrant Article requesting additional funds for this important next step in a future building project. We hope to see you at the Annual Town Meeting! (Monday, May 5th @ 7:00 P.M.) CALLING FOR NEIGHBORHOOD CAPTAINS! Do you want to be part of a successful future building project??? The SBC has been discussing a variety of ideas for involving and informing community members as we move forward with the Dale Street School building project. One idea is to create Neighborhood Captains. These individuals would help the SBC by sharing and gathering information. Though we are in the very early stages of planning, we envision a process in which the SBC members would provide support, fact sheets, links,… to the neighborhood captains who would then disseminate information. Having an informed, involved community is VITAL to creating a successful future building project. If you think this is a way that you could help the SBC, please send a brief email with your name and address to casey_sbc@medfield.net. GREAT NEWS FROM THE MSBA Did you know? Medfield has been accepted into the MSBA Reimbursement Program for 2025! Want to learn more about the MSBA process? Check out their website- MSBA

SBC Video Update  2/5/2025Click the link to view a short video with an update from the February 5th meeting. Video

All of the SBC updates and meeting packet materials can be found on the Town webpage by clicking Medfield School Building Committee in the menu under Government.

Missed a SBC meeting? Use this link to view previous meetings. Previous SBC Meetings (9/2024-2025) Previous SBC Meetings (2023-8/2024)

Missed an issue of the SBC News Update? Click the links below for previous issues. 1/8/2025 12/11/2024 11/6/2024 10/30/2024

Sign up for information from the Medfield School Building Committee! Do you want to stay informed on the proposed new elementary school project? The MSBC is making it even easier for you! Sign up for our email newsletter today!

Let’s go!

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I attended the Massachusetts School Building Authority meeting this afternoon at the request of the Superintendent to represent the Town of Medfield Select Board, and I am happy to report that the MSBA just voted to accept Medfield back into its program.

School Committee Chair Michelle Kirkby shared the town’s remarks and thanks.

SBC Forums
• Wednesday, May 15th, Dale Street School cafeteria @ 7:00 p.m
• Sunday, May 19th Dale Street School cafeteria @ 4:00 p.m.
• May 29 at the Town House @ 11:00 a.m
• May 31st the Senior Center @ 10:30 a.m

Medfield School Building Committee Letter to the Community

Dear Medfield Community,

May 1, 2024

The Medfield School Building Committee (SBC) is writing to update the community on our work. We want to share a very preliminary estimate of what a future building project may cost. When we use the words “future building project” this means a new building OR an addition/renovation (add/reno) of the Dale Street School. What we actually build will be determined after thoroughly discussing all options and gathering extensive feedback from the community.

Medfield constructed the original Dale Street School during the 1940’s. The building is well past its useful life, and it should either be replaced or subject to an add/reno process.

The reality which we are facing is that the cost of this project is going to be high, and we do not want this to be a shock to the community. We do not know precise figures but we felt providing the community with a financial framework would be prudent. Based on very high level estimates, a new school for 475-500 students will cost between $90-100 million. There are many variables that will ultimately influence the project cost such as interest rates at the time the Town seeks a bond to finance construction, design of the proposed project, the cost of project materials, and the cost of modular units (temporary classrooms for students) if an add/reno option at the current Dale Street location is used. If you assume that the town borrows $93 million at the current projected interest rates, the cost per average household (based on a valuation of $902,000 – (the average home valuation in Medfield) will be approximately $983 per year with
Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) funding, or $1,341 per year without MSBA funding.

Each year the MSBA selects a number of schools to receive state funds to offset some of the cost of school building projects, and we estimate the amount of state reimbursement for our project’s eligible expenses to be approximately $20-25 million. In 2023, the Town reapplied for MSBA Program funding, but the MSBA did not invite Medfield back into the MSBA Program. The Select Board and School Committee reapplied to the MSBA Program for December 2024. If the Town does not get invited into the MSBA Program funding in December 2024, then Medfield will need to consider doing a building project without the MSBA support, which means funding the entire
project.

Some of you may be wondering: Would an add/reno option cost less than new construction? We do not know the answer to that question at this time, The FutureThink company just provided Medfield with an updated enrollment projection which will be very helpful in planning the size and scope of the building project. Please check the SBC website to read their report.

Your engagement as we continue to evaluate options is critical, The SBC is planning to conduct a series of forums with Town residents in the hope of receiving feedback and questions related to cost and other matters.

The focus of our first forums will be on location.

SBC Forums
• Wednesday, May 15th, Dale Street School cafeteria @ 7:00 p.m
• Sunday, May 19th Dale Street School cafeteria @ 4:00 p.m.
• May 29 at the Town House @ 11:00 a.m
• May 31st the Senior Center @ 10:30 a.m

We hope to see you there!

For additional information on the SBC please visit our Town website or the Medfield School Building Facebook page.

Sincerely,

MEDFIELD SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE
Mike Weber (Co-Chair)
Meredith Chamberland (Co-Chair)
Michelle Kirkby
I.co Brehm
William C. Werner
Robert Meaney
Teresa James
Anthony Papantonis
Peter Michelson
Robert Worth
John Messina
Carolyn Casey