West El & Shawsheen Community Forum
Join us Wednesday, February 10th at 7PM
West Elementary & Shawsheen Preschool Building Committee Community Forum
The West Elementary and Shawsheen Preschool School Building Committee will be holding a remote public forum on Wednesday, February 10th at 7:00 PM.
This project will set the stage for the future of all elementary schools throughout the district.
We encourage all in Andover to attend to learn more.
The West Elementary and Shawsheen Preschool Building project will impact the entire community.
The goal of this project is to provide our youngest learners with sufficient and modern educational spaces, opportunities to ease overcrowding at other elementary schools, and additional meeting spaces and playing fields for community use during non-school hours.
Additionally, the project is designed to be more energy efficient, reduce our carbon footprint and be solar-ready.
Why should you attend?
- The project is nearing the end of Module 4 – Schematic Design. This submission, due to the MSBA at the end of February is the basis for the project moving onto Module 5 – Funding the Project.
- Following focus groups, a design charrette, site review, and an extensive estimation process, the project team is finalizing the development of a schematic design document with sufficient detail to establish the scope, the final budget and the schedule for the project. You will be able to view internal and external renderings of these buildings and understand the costs to construct, equip, and furnish these 2 new buildings.
- This will be an opportunity for the community and abutters to the site to review the site plan and ask questions.
- The funding for this project will require the community to participate in two votes: 2021 Annual Town Meeting on Saturday, June 5th for project funding and borrowing authorization articles and a ballot box vote to pass an override of proposition 2 ½ in order to fund the project.
- A failure at town meeting or the ballot box likely results in Andover losing its MSBA grant, thereby jeopardizing the building solutions for West Elementary, Shawsheen Preschool, Andover High School, and Doherty Middle School, the buildings defined in the 2016 MGT Study as the Andover school facilities with the greatest needs.
Andover Town Manager Andrew Flanagan, SMMA Architects, and project manager PMA Consultants will present to the Community. Following the presentations, the West Elementary School Building Committee will answer questions from the community.
How to Participate!
We encourage public participation
via live video: Register
To participate via video, you must register in advance and the meeting administrator will move you from the WebEx lobby into the main meeting at the appropriate time. Please register at the link above.
via email: scremote@andoverma.us
Please include your name and address when you submit your questions. Questions can be submitted in advance or during the meeting.
More information
West Elementary was accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) program in December 2017. Most notably, funding for a “feasibility study” was approved by Town Meeting in May 2018. As of August 2020, we are currently in module 4, known as the "Schematic Design" module.
For more information, please visit our webpage.