In 2018, the Town of Leicester engaged with NV5 as the Owner’s Project Manager and Finegold Alexander & Associates (FAA) as the Architect, to undertake a Feasibility Study and Schematic Design for the Leicester Middle School project. As the study developed, it became clear that the optimum solution for the Town of Leicester and Leicester Public Schools, would be to create a Pre-K to grade 8 school. The two schools combined under one roof model would strengthen the educational program while providing the most economical solution for the Town. The MSBA approved the Feasibility Study at their August 2019 Board Meeting. The project is the construction of a new Pre-K to 8 Leicester School, for 930 students, on the current school site, located at 70 Winslow Avenue in Leicester, MA.
The scope of work entails the construction of a new facility on the current campus site. The plan is for the new, three-story building to be constructed in one phase. The students would not need to relocate during construction as the entire current middle school would be demolished after the new school is built, after which new play fields and a parking lot will be built. Overall, the building is being designed into zones, separating the lower school (grades Pre-K to 4) and the upper school (grades 5 to 8). Academic programming will be dispersed throughout the wings, organized by grade neighborhoods with flexible learning spaces. Core facilities such as the gymnasium, cafetorium and music room will be located on the first floor and will be available for community use.
8/28/19: The Board of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has voted to approve the Town of Leicester to proceed into Schematic Design as the next phase in the project to replace the Leicester Primary School, Leicester Memorial School and the Leicester Middle School with a new PK-8 school facility on the existing Leicester Middle School site. The 8/28/19 MSBA Board Action letter can be viewed here.
08/05/19: The June 30, 2019 School Committee presentation, made at the retreat, has been posted. Also, note that at the end of August 2019, the MSBA will be voting to approve the project to move forward into Schematic Design.
06/28/19: Thank you to everyone who came out on a beautiful summer evening to attend the joint meeting of the School Building Committee, School Committee, Finance Advisory Committee, Select Board and Planning Board. Gathering feedback from the various Town Committees and boards is a great way to gain consensus and build momentum for the project as we move forward! For those that were unable to attend, or if you would like to review the presentation in more detail, the complete 06/27/19 meeting presentation, as well as the 04/01/19 Geotech Report, are posted. Also note that the first official submission to the MSBA – the Preliminary Design Program (PDP), was made on 4/16/19.