18 May, 2023
Exciting news: there has been an important milestone in the Elmwood Replacement Project process.
On April 26, 2023, the Elmwood School Replacement Project was approved by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Board of Directors to proceed from the “Feasibility” phase into “Schematic Design.” The plan is to replace the existing Elmwood Elementary School with a new facility serving grades 2-4 on a site referred to as the Hayden Rowe Street Site. Essentially this site shares a border with the Marathon School, which is land the town already owns.
As a result of a collaborative analysis between the town’s and the MSBA’s demographers, which examined enrollment projections and space capacity needs for the proposed project, the MSBA and the Town of Hopkinton acknowledged and agreed that the design of the proposed project at the Elmwood Elementary School is projected to serve 1,195 students in grades 2-4.
The MSBA’s design enrollment certification was signed last week by Amy Ritterbush, Chair of the Select Board, Nancy Cavanaugh, School Committee Chair, and Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh.
It is important to note that both the District’s demographer and the MSBA’s demographer believe that school enrollment for grades 2-4 will approach 1,195 students by 2029. At present, the enrollment in grades 2-4 is 984 students, only about 200 students away from the projected numbers. These numbers explain the need for a larger facility, which actually proves to be the most financially prudent and cost-effective option.
Jack McCarthy, Executive Director of the MSBA, stated, “I look forward to continuing to work with [Hopkinton] as the MSBA’s grant program progresses.”
