BOSTON, MA – On Wednesday, the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s (“MSBA’s”) Facilities Assessment Subcommittee — including State Treasurer Steven Grossman and Executive Director Katherine Craven — met with representatives from the Town of Weston and their consultants to review progress made on the plans for the proposed project at Field Elementary School. The Subcommittee is composed of members of the MSBA’s Board of Directors and meets monthly to listen and provide feedback on district presentations regarding proposed school projects in the MSBA capital pipeline. A review by the Facilities Assessment Subcommittee is a critical milestone on the path to full approval by the MSBA Board of Directors.
In addition to the Treasurer and Executive Director, MSBA board members Terry Kwan and Richard Bertman were in attendance as well as Rep. Alice Peisch and Robert Libin from Senator Susan Fargo’s office. Representatives from Weston included Superintendent Cheryl Maloney and School Committee Chair Ed Heller. Jonathan Levi and Ian Ford from JLA Architects and Tim Bonfatti from Compass Project Management presented the proposed options to address the facility deficiencies at Field Elementary School. The potential solutions that were presented included new construction and an addition/renovation project. The MSBA and Weston will continue to work together on the project and Weston was invited to present before the Facilities Assessment Subcommittee again on May 11th.
"We will continue to work with Weston to find an outstanding design that serves the educational needs of the children, while remaining sensitive to cost in these challenging economic times," said State Treasurer Steven Grossman.
“There is more collaboration that the MSBA and Weston must do to hone the scope and budget of this project,” said Katherine Craven. “But we are committed to finding the most fiscally sound and educationally appropriate solution for both the students and taxpayers of Weston.”
“Advancing the Field School into the 21st century will provide an improved facility for the education of the children of Weston,” said Senator Susan Fargo. “The State Treasurer and his dedicated staff at the MSBA with Superintendent Maloney and local school officials have demonstrated their commitment to working toward making a modern school for the community a reality. The school building authority has brought billions of dollars to school districts in Massachusetts, creating many jobs.”
“I am happy that Weston is partnering with the MSBA on the Field School Project. Whether the ultimate decision is construction of a new building or a renovation/addition to the current Field School, I am confident that either route will create modern educational and instructional spaces that will provide an overall enhanced learning environment for students for years to come,” said Rep. Alice Peisch.
The MSBA strives to find the right-sized, most fiscally responsible and educationally appropriate solutions to create safe and sound learning environments. The MSBA reformed the Commonwealth’s formerly rampant and unsustainable program, which was more than $11 billion in debt. The MSBA has made $7.5 billion in reimbursements to cities, towns and regional school districts for school construction projects. These timely payments have saved municipalities over $2.9 billion in avoided local interest costs and have provided much needed cash flow to communities.
