Can Natick Get MSBA Funds For Johnson Elementary Renovation?

NATICK, MA — Parents and school officials will meet Wednesday in Natick to discuss the future of the aging and overcrowded Johnson Elementary School, with the possibility of closing the school on the table.

In a recent memo, Superintendent Anna Nolan said there would be no state help available to renovate Johnson due to the school's size. The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) funding agency requires a certain square-foot to enrollment ratio for renovations, and Johnson is only about 60 percent to that threshold, the memo said.

Some parents of Johnson students have pointed out that MSBA regulations aren't that strict, and that Johnson could still be considered for funding help.

"The [MSBA] shall consider proposed projects on a case-by-case basis and in some cases different square footages may be determined at the discretion of the [MSBA]," the regulations say.

Nolin said this week she has spoken to MSBA officials about that language. MSBA would not comment on the Johnson issue specifically until the district formally enters the MSBA funding process, she said.

"We cannot be 'in process' until the School Committee votes to submit a statement of interest to the MSBA and we have garnered the town support to do the enrollment, space and planning assessment required by the MSBA in these projects," she said.

Nolin said MSBA told her that previous exceptions to the size-ratio rule have been made in cases where a school building is the only one in a given town. An MSBA spokesperson did not answer several requests for comment about exceptions to size ratios.

Natick Public Schools is in the midst of a public outreach process about a variety of capital upgrades in the school system, including adding classroom space at Natick High School (a meeting about capital planning was supposed to happen Monday, but has been rescheduled to Nov. 1).

A separate forum will be held Wednesday to discuss options for Johnson. According to Nolin's memo, one of Johnson's biggest problems is handicap accessibility. Those upgrades could cost between $3 and $5 million, according to an architect's assessment from 2020. The building also needs roof repairs, hazardous material remediation, and other work, according to the district.

The Wednesday meeting will cover the range of options on the table for Johnson: a $10 million renovation; a $70 million brand new school; closing it and moving students to other schools; and doing nothing.