New Elementary School Planned In Marlborough At Site Of 2021 Fire

MARLBOROUGH, MA — A Marlborough boarding school for boys is planning to build a new elementary school on the site of a barn destroyed by fire last winter, according to plans submitted to the Conservation Commission.

The Hillside School recently notified the commission of its intent to build a nearly 7,500 square-foot elementary school for kindergarten through 3rd grade students along Robin Hill Street. The school would accommodate about 60 students to start, according to plans.

The 20-acre parcel at 192 Robin Hill Street already contains several greenhouses, a residential building and a poultry barn. All but the residential structure would be demolished to build a new school, according to plans submitted to the city.

The new school would be an expansion for Hillside. The boarding school for boys presently only serves students in 4th through 9th grade, according to the school's website.

School officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the new school.

The Conservation Commission is set to discuss the new school at a meeting scheduled for Thursday. The school may need the commission's permission to proceed with the project because the property drains into the Assabet River. Plans call for the construction of rain gardens and an emergency spillway and detention basin to divert stormwater from the river.

Related: Marlborough Police, Fire Officials Probe Hillside Barn Fire