Selectmen Call Special Town Meeting For Wildwood School Vote

WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington officials called a special town meeting for March 8 to seek funding for a feasibility study to replace the Wildwood Early Childhood Center, ahead of a state grant eligibility deadline.

The town was invited into the Massachusetts School Building Authority grant program, which would cover part of the design and construction costs of a new building, the town said. But for the town to stay eligible, the funds for a feasibility study must be appropriated by March 28 — a month before the April 30 annual town meeting.

The Board of Selectmen voted Monday to hold a special town meeting at 7 p.m. on March 8 in the Shriners Auditorium, 99 Fordham Road.

The town is looking to use "Free Cash," a financial reserve, for the feasibility study.

The deadline to register for the meeting is Feb. 25, according to the Town Clerk's Office. The office will be open until 8 p.m. that day for registration.

The Wildwood School is the town's oldest school, built 66 years ago, Superintendent Glenn Brand noted in a message to the community.

"While it has served the community well for many years, it is worn, tired and no longer provides the type of educational space appropriate for the students and staff it serves," Brand wrote. "The Town's invitation into the MSBA program provides an opportunity for Wilmington to explore viable options to renovate or replace the Wildwood."

The school district has a website dedicated to the proposed new Wildwood building.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.