The new building is intentionally designed to support modern, student-centered learning environments. Flexible classroom configurations, integrated technology infrastructure, and collaborative spaces promote personalized, project-based, and interdisciplinary instruction that
aligns with our district’s educational goals.

The existing facility faces chronic problems—HVAC failures, roof leaks, outdated electrical and plumbing, and structural deterioration—that interfere with teaching and learning. A new building offers a long-term solution, rather than short-term patches that drain operational budgets.

Our current building does not meet full ADA standards, creating barriers for students, staff, and visitors with disabilities. The new school will be fully ADA compliant, ensuring accessibility, equity, and dignity for all members of our community.

The new facility is sized to accommodate current and projected increases in student enrollment, avoiding future overcrowding and the need for costly, disruptive additions or portable classrooms down the line.

The project includes redesigned site circulation to separate buses, cars, and pedestrians—enhancing student safety and streamlining drop-off and pick-up logistics. This addresses longstanding concerns about congestion and accidents on school grounds.

Every general education classroom in the existing school is undersized per Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) standards. The new facility will meet or exceed these guidelines, supporting proper class sizes, flexible instruction, and student well-being.

A modern, energy-efficient building will drastically reduce utility and maintenance costs. Over time, these savings will allow more district resources to be directed toward instruction rather than facilities upkeep.

The new school includes dedicated spaces and supports for students with diverse learning needs, including specialized programs, sensory rooms, and resource spaces. This ensures all students have access to the support they need within a unified school community.

A modern school building enhances community pride, attracts new families, and strengthens property values. It’s not just an investment in education—it’s an investment in the town’s long-term vitality and competitiveness.

The existing elementary school has outdated infrastructure, with critical systems—HVAC, electrical, roofing, plumbing—failing or well past their expected lifespan. Continued repairs are not cost-effective and drain operational resources without solving root problems. The new facility will help alleviate all these issues.

Classroom spaces in the current building do not meet state standards and are too small to adequately support modern teaching strategies, differentiated instruction, or the integration of special education and support services within the general education setting. The new facility will have classrooms that are up to the current standards and are modernized based on current and future learning.

The school is not accessible to all students, staff, and visitors. Stair-only access to certain areas, lack of accessible bathrooms, and inadequate space for assistive devices present daily challenges for students with disabilities. The new design will be fully accessible per code guidelines.

The current layout does not meet modern safety standards. A new school would include secure, controlled entry points, improved sightlines, and enhanced emergency response features to keep students and staff safe.

Pick-up and drop-off traffic currently creates congestion and safety hazards for students and families. A new site design would separate buses, cars, and pedestrians to reduce risk and improve daily operations.

10 year enrollment projections show a continued rise in student numbers. A new school would be designed to accommodate growth without sacrificing learning space or program quality.

Upgrading the existing building without MSBA support would cost taxpayers up to $60 million, with no reimbursement—and still result in a compromised facility that fails to meet long-term needs.

A new building allows for purpose-built spaces that serve a range of student needs—academic, social-emotional, and developmental—ensuring that all learners are supported in an inclusive environment from day one.

This is not just about bricks and mortar. A new elementary school is a generational investment in our children’s education, our property values, and our town’s ability to attract and retain families for decades to come.

The new building will be approximately 107, 000 square feet for an anticipated enrollment of 640 students in grades preK-2. The Jr./Sr. HS is approximately 214, 000 square feet for an enrollment of 895 students.

This project is expected to take anywhere from five to seven years given the rigorous and multi-step process the MSBA requires. The process began in April 2022 when the Town of East Bridgewater submitted a Statement of Interest to the MSBA. The Feasibility Study portion will finish in late 2025, and any construction or renovation of of the building will begin in early 2027 with a project completion in 2028.

As the Central Elementary School is the only elementary school in East Bridgewater, the goals of this process is to not only evaluate the building and its capacity to serve the students and faculty, but also to look at upgrading the functionality and to meet the goals of newer educational standards. There is also a request to look at potentially changing the enrollment which will require restructuring/possible additional space to the existing building.

The current building faces numerous facility challenges impacting student learning. Built in parts between 1951 and 2006, the building suffers from poor air quality, unreliable temperature control, and limited ventilation due to outdated, inefficient heating, cooling, and exhaust systems. Many classrooms experience uncomfortable temperatures exceeding 90°F, relying on fans and portable air conditioners that overload circuits and pose safety risks. The electrical system, also from 1951, is underpowered and overloaded, limiting the use of modern educational technology. Original window fixtures are largely inoperable, compounding the ventilation issues.

The school’s fire protection systems are outdated, with no emergency generator, inadequate smoke detectors, and limited sprinklers. Plumbing problems are severe, including leaking fixtures and clogged drains, which disrupt classrooms and require frequent attention. The presence of asbestos tiles and non-code-compliant stairwell guardrails and handrails further compromises safety. Accessibility issues are significant; the building lacks an elevator to the third floor, and the primary entrance is not ADA-compliant, restricting access for students with disabilities.

Inadequate maintenance solutions, such as using buckets to catch leaks, frequently disrupt classroom activities. Addressing these issues would enable the school to provide a modern, climate-controlled environment conducive to uninterrupted learning, equal access to resources, and safer conditions for both students and staff.

The projected increase for the median property in East Bridgewater is $210 per quarter tax bill, $840 per year based on a 30-year term and $225 per quarter tax bill, $898 per year based on a 25-year term starting in 2028. The decision on the term will be made at the time of actual borrowing, based on market rate and guidance from bond counsel.

Our specifications prohibit synthetic turf products manufactured with PFAS. All synthetic turf products in our specifications must undergo third-party laboratory testing to confirm they are manufactured without PFAS before being shipped to the site. The majority of the synthetic turf industry now manufactures products without PFAS, largely due to local and state governmental regulations.

Regarding the synthetic turf in East Bridgewater, we wouldn’t expect the need for fungicide. With proper physical maintenance, there should be minimal organic matter buildup. The turf is also in a dry, hot, and unshaded environment made of synthetic materials, which isn’t conducive to fungal growth.

The Town of East Bridgewater is working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) on the Central Elementary School Building project. The MSBA is a quasi-independent government agency that funds capital improvement projects in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ public schools. The MSBA “work[s] with local communities to create affordable, sustainable, and energy-efficient schools across Massachusetts.” It has a dedicated revenue stream of one penny of the Commonwealth’s 6.25 percent sales tax. Since 2004, the MSBA has made more than $15.6B in reimbursement payments to school districts for school construction projects.

SOI
Statement of Interest
Submitting an SOI is the critical first step in the MSBA’s program to partially fund the construction, renovation, addition or repair of municipality or regionally owned school facilities located in cities, towns and regional school districts. The SOI allows districts to inform the MSBA about deficiencies that may exist in a local school facility and how those deficiencies inhibit the delivery of the district’s educational program.

SBC or BC
School Building Committee or Building Committee
SBC or BC is the committee formed and to act on behalf of the municipality to oversee and initiate the school building project while collaborating with the community, consultants and the MSBA to determine the appropriate solution for the school building in the most fiscally responsible, sustainable, flexible and educationally appropriate manner as it progresses from the study phases through building completion.

PDP
Preliminary Design Program
PDP is the first reporting stage during the feasibility study phase where the district and its team collaborate with the MSBA to document their educational program, generate an initial space summary, document existing conditions, establish design parameters, develop and evaluate alternatives and recommend the most cost-effective and educationally appropriate alternatives to the MSBA for further evaluation in the PSR phase.

PSR
Preferred Schematic Report
PSR is the second reporting stage during the feasibility study phase where the district and its team collaborate with the MSBA to refine their educational program and space summary, further develop and evaluate alternatives and recommend the most cost-effective and educationally appropriate solution to the MSBA Board of Directors for consideration before progressing into Schematic Design.

SD
Schematic Design
SD is the final reporting stage where the district and its team develop a final design program and robust schematic design of sufficient detail to establish the scope, budget, and schedule for the proposed project.

LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
LEED is a rating system devised by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to evaluate the environmental performance of a building and encourage market transformation towards sustainable design.

A base repair project addresses essential building systems and code compliance deficiencies in an existing school without major renovation or addition. It focuses on repairing, replacing, or upgrading building systems to extend the building’s useful life, ensure safety, and meet current codes. It does not focus on educational program improvements or expansion.

This option would bring the existing Central Elementary School into compliance with current building, fire, and accessibility codes through a general repair and replacement of systems that have reached the end of their useful life. The scope includes upgrades to mechanical, electrical, plumbing, life safety, and accessibility features, as well as repairs to the building envelope and site improvements required for code compliance, such as ADA-conforming pathways, parking, and playground areas. This option does not account for the modular buildings being added as permanent structures, as the existing modulars are intended to remain temporary. It also does not include any costs associated with relocating students during the repair period. Furthermore, it does not address the undersized or inefficient layout of educational spaces or improve functionality to support 21st-century learning standards.

The MSBA’s base repair option is meant for districts that want to preserve an existing building’s serviceability and safety rather than replace or modernize it. The project would be entirely funded by the Town, as the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) would not participate in a non-programmatic code upgrade. The projected increase for the median property in East Bridgewater ($524,219) for this project option is $175 per quarter, $700 per year.

The committee determined that a base repair project would only address the school’s most basic physical deficiencies without improving its functionality or ability to support a modern educational program. While it might appear less costly upfront, a base repair would offer limited life extension and no improvement to the building’s layout, which does not meet current MSBA standards or support 21st century teaching methods. The committee concluded that investing in repairs alone would not be a responsible or forward-looking use of public funds. Instead, pursuing a comprehensive new construction option offers greater long-term value through improved energy efficiency, better educational spaces, and alignment with the district’s goals and community expectations.