CANTON — Interim Superintendent Derek Folan, Interim Assistant Superintendent Sarah Shannon and School Committee Chair Kristian Merenda are pleased to announce that the District was today accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s (MSBA) Core Program for the William H. Galvin Middle School.
The District re-submitted a Statement of Interest (SOI), chiefly authored by Interim Assistant Superintendent Shannon, for the Galvin for consideration by the MSBA in the summer of 2021. This submission followed a District Comprehensive Facilities Assessment in 2017 and a Feasibility Study in 2018, which determined the Galvin Middle School to be in need of renovation and/or replacement.
An SOI is the first step in applying for building project funding assistance from the MSBA, which is a state agency that works with communities to support educationally-appropriate, flexible, sustainable and cost-effective public school facilities. The 2021 SOI was the fourth submission by the District.
The District’s SOI noted three identified priorities in completing the project: eliminating existing severe overcrowding; replacing, renovating or modernizing school facility systems to increase energy conservation and decrease energy costs; and replacing or adding onto an obsolete building in order to provide for a full range of programs consistent with state and local requirements. The full SOI can be found here.
“This is phenomenal news for our District,” Interim Superintendent Derek Folan said. “The MSBA vote to accept the GMS project into the MSBA Core Program puts us on a clear path for a new or renovated Galvin Middle School, and I am certain it will energize and amplify our entire school community.”
The current Galvin Middle School building is over 50 years old and is in need of educational, capital and maintenance improvements. It has space and infrastructure issues, as evidenced by the occurrence of two water main breaks in the fall of 2021, and is not configured in a way that lends itself to the full implementation of the District’s educational vision.
As part of the SOI review process, two Senior Study meetings were conducted with the MSBA in October 2021 to discuss the SOI, review the town’s financial readiness for a building project and feasibility study, and assess community readiness. A building tour also took place with MSBA representatives in October to identify the physical deficiencies and how they impact the district’s educational vision.
“This could not be more exciting for the Galvin and for Canton,” Interim Assistant Superintendent Shannon said. “The middle school staff has been working hard to transform the learning experience for our students and to meet a 21st century vision for learning. The opportunity to design and build a new middle school will allow us to operationalize our dreams in a much more dynamic way.”
She added, “This year, our sixth grade students engaged in a project where they answered the driving question: How can we, as a design team, create an environment that is more learner-centered? Their designs highlighted what we know – that the learning environment and educational structures, when done right, have the power to change the learning experience and to facilitate even more creativity, achievement and joy. I can’t wait for our current and future students to see their ideas represented in a new middle school in Canton!”
Today’s acceptance into the MSBA Core Program begins a partnership between the District and MSBA to assist in the program development and funding of new school construction or additions/renovations to an existing school.
Over the next several months, the District will participate in the MSBA’s Eligibility Period during which the District will complete several preliminary requirements, including submitting forms and data on current and proposed educational facilities, maintenance practices, teaching methodology, grade configurations and program offerings. The District will also form a School Building Committee.
“This wonderful decision by the MSBA represents the culmination of many years of work by our state and local officials, Canton School Committee, administrative leadership, staff and families, to whom we are incredibly grateful, ” Chair Merenda said. “This past year, our team took a very focused and strategic approach in the application. I am proud to say that in having gone the extra mile to truly lay out the case for support for a new Galvin Middle School and the impact it will have in helping deliver academic excellence across our entire school district, the collective team has helped bring another incredible asset to our thriving town. This opportunity will be a game-changer for Canton on many fronts. We are well-prepared and beyond thrilled to be finally moving ahead.”
“We are deeply appreciative to Rep. Bill Galvin and Sen. Walter Timilty for their unwavering support through this process, and offer a big thank you to past and present School Committee members, the Select Board, town officials, community members, and CPS staff and administrators who worked tirelessly to make this happen,” Interim Superintendent Folan said.
Click here to view the letter of support read by Interim Superintendent Folan at today’s MSBA Board Meeting.
###