The Westford School Committee heard an update that the Massachusetts School Building Authority review panel accepted the district’s request to study multiple options for its elementary schools. The study will evaluate three build options: replacing Robinson School with a new K–2 facility (roughly 470 students); combining Abbott and Robinson (about 750 students); or consolidating Abbott, Robinson and Day into a larger elementary facility. The district said the feasibility work will include enrollment and redistricting analysis and will inform later design and cost decisions.

Committee members said Vertex, the district’s preferred owner’s project manager (OPM), presented at the MSBA OPM review panel and that the panel will issue a letter of approval enabling the district to execute the OPM contract and proceed. The next administrative step is a request for services (RFS) to select an architect design team, with the district expecting an architect on board by February if the process proceeds on schedule.

District staff emphasized that the feasibility study is intended to explore how grade‑level configuration and redistricting interact across the elementary schools, not to choose a final design. They said the MSBA’s acceptance of the district’s submittal makes those three scenarios eligible for MSBA reimbursement during the feasibility stage, while decisions about final building size, add/reno needs or new construction and costs would come later in the design process.

Committee members noted this process will feed into longer‑term enrollment and budget discussions and that additional committee review and public engagement will follow as the district refines options and cost estimates.

Timeline: presentation to the MSBA OPM review panel, OPM approval letter, RFS for an architect and a feasibility study that will include redistricting and enrollment scenarios.

Speakers quoted in this report were present at the meeting; committee members voted in favor of proceeding with the MSBA‑eligible feasibility work and to move forward with the administrative steps described.