Framingham Seeks To Fund Study On New Elementary School

FRAMINGHAM, MA — The Framingham School Committee recently took another step toward a long-planned new elementary school south of Route 9.

Last week, the committee signed off on a $600,000 capital request to study the feasibility of a new school. The district conducted a pre-feasibility study in fall 2019, but a full feasibility study could allow Framingham to get reimbursed for construction costs from the Massachusetts School Building Authority in the future.

The school committee discussed plans for the new school in April, with a building for grades 1-5 along Bethany Road near St. Tarcisius Cemetery highlighted as "optimal."

Six of the district's nine elementary schools are north of Route 9, bust most students live south of that dividing line.

The $600,000 study was among $8.3 million in capital projects the Framingham School Committee approved last week. Other projects approved include asbestos abatement at Brophy Elementary School, a $1.5 million HVAC upgrade at McCarthy Elementary School and a $1.8 million roof repair at the former Farley Middle School.

The school district's capital funding requests are for fiscal year 2022, which begins on July 1. The district's capital budget still needs to be included in Mayor Yvonne's Spicer's fiscal 2022 budget, which is subject to City Council approval.