Center School Feasibility Study - Q & A
(TM Article 48/Ballot Question #2)

The School Committee has submitted an article on the Annual Town Meeting warrant and Town Election ballot that seeks approval of funding for a Feasibility Study for Center School.  This study is required in order for the Town to receive reimbursement from the State for the school building project.  The article is asking for approval of $525,000. A minimum of 40% will be reimbursed by the State.  The output of the study will include schematic designs that would be used in the bid process for full design.

*[Note from EducateHopkinton: This question is about a state mandated feasibility study to resolve issues around the viability of Center School and Hopkinton's facility planning efforts. The amount approved by a 2/3 vote on Article 48 at Annual Town Meeting was $385,000, but at least 40% of that would be reimbursed by the Massachusetts School Building Authority, bringing actual borrowing to no more than $231,000. If approved, the funding allows Hopkinton to move forward with applying for state funds for school buildings. If not approved, Hopkinton would be removed from the current list of eligible projects.]

To provide more information on this article, the School Committee has provided answers to several frequently asked questions.

I thought the School Committee had decided a few years ago to decommission Center School.  Why are we now doing a Feasibility Study?  

Although the School Committee believes it is time to retire Center School, the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), the State agency that funds the school building program, has not yet reached that conclusion.  The MSBA has implemented a new process for funding school building projects.  First, a district must identify a problem.  Then, rather than having the school district propose the solution, the MSBA works with the school district to determine the best solution to the problem.  Our concerns with Center School are with the building itself, traffic and bus loop safety, and the undersized, out-of-date educational spaces.   How we address our concerns will be determined through the Feasibility Study. 

What are the possible outcomes of the study?

The study will most likely examine four options – to renovate Center School, to expand Center School, to build a new school on the Elmwood School site, or to build a new school on the Town’s Fruit Street property.

What if the decision is to build a new school?  Will we be able to?

If the Feasibility Study determines that the best solution is to build a new school, then the MSBA would support us in our efforts to build one.  We would still need to apply for reimbursement from the MSBA and we would need to seek funding from the Town for the design and construction of the project.

What if we don’t agree with the outcome of the study?

Our expectation is that the Feasibility Study will be a collaborative process with the MSBA, and that together we can agree on what the best solution is.  If we don’t agree with the outcome, and we want to implement a different solution, then we would have to do it without any State funding.

What if the voters don’t approve the Feasibility Study this year?  Will we get another chance?

In all likelihood this is our one opportunity for funding from the State.  There were 423 requests state-wide for funding of school building projects this year.  The Center School project was selected as one of 49 projects by the MSBA for a Feasibility Study.  There are many other districts in the State that are seeking funding.  It is likely that if we do not approve funding for the Feasibility Study this year, then we will be placed on the bottom of the list.

Isn’t $525,000 expensive for a Feasibility Study?

This study will encompass more than previous feasibility studies that we have done.  The study will include a look at projected enrollments, a review of our educational requirements, and in-depth site reviews, including soil testing.  The end result will be schematic designs of a renovated or new building that would be used in the design phase of the project.  As part of the study, a designer will be hired to work on the site evaluation and schematic designs.

Will we be reimbursed for the Feasibility Study? 

Yes, the MSBA will partially reimburse the study.  The reimbursement amount will fall somewhere in the range of 40-46%, based on where Hopkinton falls on the MSBA’s reimbursement scale.  The MSBA is requiring that we ask for the full amount of the study at Town Meeting, even though we will not pay the full amount.

What happened to the money that was approved several years ago for the new elementary school?

There will be an article on the Special Town Meeting warrant to rescind the authority the School Committee was granted to spend that money.  The MSBA wants a fresh start, and wants the Town to approve the new project.   Of the $3 million that was approved several years ago, $60,000 was spent before the enrollment projections changed and the new elementary school was put on hold. 

How long will it take to complete the Feasibility Study?

The MSBA is estimating that it will take up to 12 months to complete the Feasibility Study.  The Town would then have 120 days to approve funding for the Full Design and Construction of the proposed building project.  We anticipate that the design and construction would be completed by January of 2012.

Submitted by the School Committee

School Committee Website: http://www.hopkinton.k12.ma.us/newweb2/school_committee.php