Westwood Prepares For Vote On New Combined Elementary School

WESTWOOD, MA - The proposal for the new Hanlon-Deerfield Elementary combined elementary school and the debt exclusion to help finance it will go before Westwood's Special Town Meeting on Monday, October 18.

The meeting will be held at 5 p.m. at Westwood High School's Flahive Field.

Superintendent Emily Parks explained that the proposal - three years in the making - is now coming before Town Meeting members as the only agenda item. It includes a debt exclusion, which would be paid over 30 years. Members would need to approve a property tax override by a two-thirds margin.

"I want to encourage everyone to go to Town Meeting and vote," she said. "When I talk to some parents, they seem to think it is a done deal because we have been talking about it for three years and because it received the support of the School Committee. But it needs to be approved in order to go to the special election on Tuesday, October 26."

The final step will be a favorable majority vote in the election to allow the project to move forward.

In April, the Massachusetts School Building Authority's board of directors approved a grant of about $18 million to help fund the $87.8 million project. It is expected to be completed in 2023.

"We applied to a program through the Massachusetts School Building Authority, through which the state provides partial reimbursement of the cost," Parks said, noting that the funding for the feasibility study was approved at the 2018 Town Meeting. "The Special Town Meeting is to approve the balance. From my perspective, this is an incredible opportunity for the community because we will receive state funding."

The idea for the combined elementary school started with when the town was putting together its master plan and performed a capital needs study, according to Parks.

"The study identified the Hanlon and the Deerfield as being in need for replacement," she said. "They were built between 1948 and 1953. Some of the systems are original to the buildings."

Expansion of the current Hanlon building was considered, but after a feasibility study was conducted, this idea was scrapped. There are deficiencies in both school buildings because of their age. These include the need to replace the HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems. There also are issues with the windows and the Hanlon roof as well as accessibility.

"These schools have outlived their useful life," Parks said, noting that the School Building Committee was formed to gather community input. "The classrooms are undersized."

Information and a video can be found here.

"We have been very, very committed to getting input from the community," she added, noting there were 75 community meetings including 13 community forums. "We considered 15 different project options and ultimately decided to combine the Hanlon and the Deerfield."

Some of the needs identified included a larger gym and athletic fields and improved access to the building.

The proposed site for the new school is to the west of the current Hanlon School building at 790 Gay St. in the wooded area behind the school. The new facility is designed to accommodate up to 560 students.

The designs for the building were prepared by Dore + Whittier. Its website said that the inspiration for the layout came from the woods, and it has been termed as "a school in the woods." An earth-toned palette and terra cotta will be used for the two-story building. Extended learning spaces will be placed next to classrooms. The school's area is 113,141 square feet and will be net zero ready.

A neighborhood park is included in the design, which will have a multi-use athletic field and little league baseball field. The cafeteria was designed with a stage that can be used by the students as well as local groups.

"We have been very cognizant of trying to design a great building that meets the community's needs while carefully considering the cost and financial responsibility," Parks said.