Natick Will Close Johnson Elementary School By 2025

NATICK, MA — Natick Public Schools will close Johnson Elementary School by June 2025 following a School Committee vote on Monday. The decision to close the downtown-area school comes after years of discussions, and a renewed conversation about needed capital improvements across the district this fall.

More than 200 people attended Monday's meeting, with residents lining up to speak for more than an hour. The decision came after a recent public forum on Johnson, and the formulation of a closing plan — although discussions about closing the school that have been in the air for more than a decade.

According to district officials, Johnson will need at least $3.3 million in renovations in the next five years, the bulk of that for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades. Officials have said that money would be better spent upgrading other district facilities, like Memorial Elementary.

A main concern of parents and school district employees expressed Monday was that other schools in the district would see increased class sizes with an influx of Johnson students.

In a presentation to the School Committee, Superintendent Anna Nolin said Johnson students would gradually move to Brown, Lilja and Memorial elementary schools. Just 44 students would remain at Johnson in the final year of the phased closure.

To prevent overcrowding at other town elementary schools, the district would prepare to buy modular classrooms to handle possible overflow. But Nolin told the School Committee that current enrollment projections show class sizes should not change, barring surprise events.

"I cannot predict if there's going to be some sort of housing surge that's in the offing," she said. "I can tell you the students that are sitting here today coupled with low birth rates ... that's what makes me comfortable to recommend this."

Nolin said no classroom jobs would be lost in the closure, with teachers redeployed throughout the district — Natick sees about 40 to 50 teachers leave each year due to attrition. Staff like custodians could be transferred to work for the town or in other schools, according to Nolin's plan.

Committee member Donna McKenzie said she toured Johnson on Friday in preparation for Monday's vote. She said she saw a charming, warm building, but one that was in need of repairs — mainly upgrades to make the building accessible for disabled people. The lack of ADA accommodations is not fair to students or the community, she said.

"This is a heartbreaking moment," she said. "We must make a choice for the future well-being of all students in this district."

Member Shai Fuxman said closing Johnson would help the district save money, which could be reinvested in the school system. Closing the school could save tens of thousands in the short term, but the closure would also save future costs from renovations, according to district officials.

"The funds that will be saved from this decision will be reinvested in our educators," Fuxman said.

Member Hayley Sonneborn attempted to stall the Johnson closure by proposing the School Committee wait to vote until the district has a plan for a new school. The proposal failed, and the School Committee ultimately voted 5-1 for the closure — Sonneborn voted against, and member Catherine Brunell recused herself following recent state Ethics Commission advice.