ANDOVER — The West Elementary and Shawsheen Preschool Building Committee is pleased to invite community members to attend a virtual forum later this month.
WHEN:
Wednesday, May 19, starting at 7 p.m.
WHERE:
- Online via Webex. To participate in the meeting, click here to register in advance as well as access the meeting when it begins.
- Residents may also watch the meeting via Andover TV’s live stream or on Comcast channel 99 or Verizon channel 43.
WHO:
- West Elementary and Shawsheen Preschool Building Committee
- Interim Superintendent Claudia Bach
- Town Manager Andrew Flanagan
- SMMA architects and PMA consultants
WHAT:
The Building Committee will be holding a remote public forum to discuss the West Elementary and Shawsheen Preschool Building project, which has reached Module 5 — funding — in the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s (MSBA) process.
The goal of this project is to provide students with sufficient and modern educational spaces, opportunities to ease overcrowding at other elementary schools and provide additional meeting spaces and playing fields for community members to use during non-school hours.
Significant funding for this project is provided by the MSBA, a state agency that works with communities to support educationally appropriate, flexible, sustainable and cost-effective public school facilities. West Elementary was accepted into the MSBA program in December of 2017.
Completion of this project is subject to the community’s authorization and commitment to funding costs of the project not covered by the MSBA. The total cost of the project is $152 million, of which the town will be responsible for $114 million and the remainder will be paid for by a $38 million grant from the MSBA.
The funding for this project will require the community to vote in the affirmative at both the 2021 Annual Town Meeting on Saturday, June 5 — on Article 15 on the Town Meeting warrant — and at the town election on Tuesday, June 15 to pass an override of Proposition 2 1/2 inorder to fund the project.
A “No” vote at Town Meeting or the town election may jeopardize the building solutions for West Elementary and Shawsheen Preschool and may result in Andover losing its MSBA grant.
Residents interested in attending are encouraged to view the forum by live-streaming it on Andover TV, or watching on Comcast channel 99 or Verizon channel 43.
Residents are encouraged to participate by submitting questions via email to scremote@andoverma.us. Residents are asked to include their name and address when submitting questions. Questions can be submitted in advance or during the meeting. To participate in the meeting, click here to register in advance as well as access the meeting when it begins.
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