UPDATED: State Green Lights First Step For Framingham's School Feasibility Study

The Massachusetts School Building Authority officially voted yesterday, Jan. 27, to begin the process to fund a feasibility study to renovate or replace Fuller Middle School.

Framingham Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott announced on December 22, that the Authority’s staff would recommend the Board approve Framingham’s application - its third application in as many years.

Framingham Public Schools applied to renovate or replace Fuller Middle School, the former Framingham South High School.

The state process for funding is complicated - more than 8 steps in the eligibility phase, including creating a School Building Committee. If all the steps are completed within the 270-day time frame, the state then could fund the feasibility study.

Yesterday’s decision does not guarantee funding for the project for Framingham, but was needed to move the process forward.

“We are elated with the prospect of this support which coincides with the proposal to acquire land as a possible site for building a new school. Congratulations to the Town that worked as a team to make this possible,” wrote Scott, back in December.

Framingham School Committee and then Framingham Selectmen both recently took unanimous votes to purchase 12 acres of property on Bethany Road for a future school.

A Special Town Meeting will be called in February to as Town Meeting members to purchase that property.

Last month, Scott said the earliest construction could begin at the Bethany Road property, on a school, if everything was approved by the state and Town Meeting is in 2018.

Selectmen in December indicated a preference for a new K-8 school to be built on the site, but the state’s study, if approved to be funded in January 2016, would identify options for the Town on what is best needed.