Pre-K To 8 School Building Committee

CHARGE 
TOWN OF SOUTHBOROUGH
PRE-K TO 8 SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE
AD-HOC

The Pre-K to 8 School Building Committee (“School Building Committee”) shall be an ad-hoc committee, appointed by the Select Board.

Comparison Matrix: By September 30, 2025, the School Building Committee shall compile a comparison matrix evaluating the following potential baseline configurations:

A. Trottier serves Grades 3–6, Woodward serves Grades 7–8
B. Finn serves Pre-K to 2, Woodward serves 3–4, Trottier serves 5–8
C. Minimal renovation of Neary (assumed “deferred maintenance” only)
D. Finn expanded or renovated to serve four grades (Pre-K to 3)
E. Full ADA/current code-compliant renovation of Neary
F. New four-grade school at Neary
G. New Pre-K to 5 school at a suitable location (including possible use of the Finn site)

Each configuration shall be evaluated against the following criteria:

1.  Estimated Capital Cost
2.  Summary of Major Cost Categories
3.  Estimated State/Federal Reimbursement (if available)
4.  Neary Site Demolition & Remediation Cost (if applicable)
5.  Operational Savings or Added Costs (e.g., busing, staffing, utilities)
6.  Operational Cost/Savings Summary
7.  Net Town Cost (after reimbursements and offsets)
8.  Expected Renovation or Construction Timeframe
9.  Life Expectancy (in years)
10.  Safety Considerations (e.g., egress, suppression, lead/asbestos)
11.  Educational Considerations (e.g., grade alignment, delivery model)
12.  Domino Effects (e.g., reuse or sale of other town properties, additional investment in other structures for modified use)
13.  Home Value Implication (e.g., proximity to a school changes)
14.  Other Pros & Cons
15.  Total Town Project Cost including domino effects and secondary investments
16.  Executive Summary of Option

The School Building Committee is encouraged to compile the data for this comparison matrix from its prior work and the ongoing work of the SSC.  This matrix shall be clear, data-supported, and designed for easy review by the public and decision-makers, annotations should be included when appropriate. The Committee shall not make a recommendation but should ensure its work enables others to weigh tradeoffs with confidence.

The Committee may also consider and evaluate additional feasible configurations identified during its work. 

Updates to this charge should be made as the project progresses to better outline the scope of responsibilities of the School Building Committee.

The School Building Committee shall ensure compliance and coordination with any statutes and regulations related to Massachusetts School Building Authority (“MSBA”) projects.

The voting positions shall be filled by residents of the community who are willing to volunteer their time.

All ex-officio roles are required to be filled to maintain compliance with MSBA regulations.   These positions will not count toward the quorum, nor will they have a vote on committee matters.

The School Building Committee can set up subcommittees and appoint members to these subcommittees from their appointed voting and non-voting members, as they see fit.

All appointments expire September 30, 2025, unless this charge is extended.

Membership

1.  Ex-officio Members 

•  Superintendent of Schools
•  Assistant Superintendent of Operations
•  Assistant Superintendent of Schools (Member knowledgeable in educational mission and function of facility)
•  School Director of Finance
•  School Principals (up to 2)
•  Town Administrator
•  Town Treasurer/Finance Director 

Voting members – Total of 9 (preference is for at least a portion of this group to have prior experience with construction of public buildings, and with a strong preference for new participants who have not recently served on similar town committees.

•    School Committee Member
•    Select Board Member
•    Advisory Committee Member
•    Capital Improvement and Planning Committee Member
•    Residents at Large (five) – architecture, engineering, current/recent public school teacher and/or construction experience preferred.

Committee formerly known as Near School Building Committee; Approved by Select Board – February 15, 2022; Amended March 15, 2022; March 24, 2022; May 2, 2023, July 28, 2023 Committee renamed to PreK-8 School Building Committee – Approved by Select Board June 17, 2025 Amended July 1, 2025; August 19, 2025