CANTON — Superintendent Derek Folan, the Canton School Committee and town officials are pleased to announce that the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) invited Canton Public Schools into the Feasibility Phase for the Galvin Middle School (GMS) project this week.
At its Board of Directors meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 26, the MSBA granted two state Districts approval to move into the Feasibility Phase of their respective projects, with the GMS building project proposal being one. The MSBA vote for both Districts was unanimous.
“We are thrilled to continue to move forward in the MSBA process. This is great news for Canton and the school community,” Superintendent Folan said. “We are extremely grateful for the continued support from the Canton community and the strong partnership with the MSBA.
“In particular, we thank State Treasurer and MSBA Chair Deb Goldberg, MSBA Executive Director Jack McCarthy and the MSBA team for all they do for Districts, ensuring our students, families and educators have a high-quality facility for high-quality teaching and learning. Funding for these projects is highly competitive, and to be chosen to enter this next phase reflects not only the great need that exists for this project but also the hard work of so many individuals whose passion and dedication for CPS is unwavering.”
As part of the Feasibility Phase, the District and the School Building Committee team will collaborate with the MSBA to select an Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) and a Design Firm to document the educational programming, generate an initial space summary, document existing conditions, establish design parameters, develop and evaluate alternatives, and recommend the most cost-effective and educationally appropriate preferred solution to the MSBA for consideration.
The Feasibility Phase takes between 20-24 months to complete.
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. The building no longer offers adequate space to effectively deliver the broad range of programming and support services the District seeks to offer and the families of Canton expect and deserve.
The District submitted a Statement of Interest (SOI), chiefly authored by Assistant Superintendent Sarah Shannon, for the Galvin building project for consideration by the MSBA in the summer of 2021.
The 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.
The project was officially accepted into the MSBA’s Core Program on March 2, 2021.
Over the past several months, the District participated in the MSBA’s eligibility period during which the District completed 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 also formed a School Building Committee, which will be discussed at the Nov. 2 School Committee meeting.
“Canton Public Schools has a long history of supporting our students, families and staff. The Galvin Middle School MSBA building project is a terrific example of our district’s continued, tireless efforts to be ‘Champions of Excellence’ through creating a culture of achievement, equity, inspiration and joy for all students in our community,” Canton School Committee Chair Kristian Darigan Merenda said.
Chair Merenda continued, “This building project represents the culmination and continuation 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. A new Galvin will allow us to offer the safest and most modern, inclusive learning environment for our middle schoolers. We are well-prepared and are thrilled to be moving ahead to bring this incredible asset to our thriving town.”
Superintendent Folan, Assistant Superintendent Shannon and the Canton Public Schools wish to thank the Canton School Committee, the Town of Canton and Town Administrator Charles Doody, community members, and the staff, families and students of the District for their continued support of the Galvin building project.
Also at the Oct. 26 meeting, Senator Walter Timilty spoke in support of the GMS Building project and commended the work of the Canton Public Schools to move the project forward. Senator Paul Feeney also provided support, while Representative William Galvin submitted a letter of support.
For a full list of phases as part of the MSBA process, click here.
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