The hearings are designed to explain the project and address any public concers.
WESTFIELD – The School Building Committee has scheduled three public information meetings to outline on-going plans for construction of a new elementary school.
The first is scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m. at South Middle School on West Silver Street. A second session will also be held at South Middle School on July 12 at 6 p.m.. The third session is scheduled for July 19 at School Department offices on Ashley Street.
School and city officials are working with the state’s School Building Administration to complete design plans and funding for the estimated $25 million project. City officials have identified the former Ashley Street School, closed to instruction, in 1981, as the building site for the new school.
Abner Gibbs principal Margaret M. Adams said the public hearings will address design and building plans, outline the proposed location, review potential consolidation of two or more schools into the new building and “address any concerns the public may have about the project.”
The committee has completed its needs study and educational planning for the new building and has hired architect Margo Jones of Greenfield and Skanska USA of Boston as the project manager. The city appropriated $600,000 for those phases of the project earlier this year.
The committee has started circulating informational flyers on the project to neighborhoods that will be impacted by the construction project. Those flyers will also be available at each of the three hearings for distribution to all city residents.
The committee agreed last week to update the brochures, if necessary, between each of the three public information sessions.
The brochure explains the state’s ‘model school’ program which Westfield has accepted, an explanation on why Ashley Street was selected as the site, financing and responsibility of the Building Committee.
It also addresses consolidation of Abner Gibbs and Franklin Avenue elementary schools into the new school.
SBA has expedited Westfield’s construction project and local officials anticipate construction will begin by March 2012. Westfield is eligible for 62-percent state reimbursement of construction, furniture and equipment costs for the new school.