Update: this piece has been updated to include additional context regarding what facilities could be renovated under each option.
WESTFORD — Discussions have begun on preliminary cost estimates to rehabilitate or replace Robinson Elementary School.
As WestfordCAT reported last year, the school was invited into the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s grant eligibility period, which was the first of several steps for the town to receive state money for a future project.
The Robinson School Building Committee, formed last year, will oversee and facilitate projects that could repair, renovate, or replace the Colonel John Robinson Elementary School.
As a result of a comprehensive facilities assessment published in 2023, the school was found to have stood out as the building with the greatest need for repairs. SMMA found that the approximately 56-year-old building has an obsolete HVAC system, that some plumbing and electrical components are in poor condition, and that several areas of the school lacked handicapped accessibility.
The process of repairing the elementary school could take up to seven years and will include studying use cases for the building, conducting a feasibility study, and designing a schematic design of what the project may entail. The elementary School needs exterior and interior replacements and repairs such as updated plumbing, fire protection, heating and ventilation and electrical systems.
During the meeting, Superintendent of Schools Christopher Chew outlined several possible options which include building three new schools, renovating the three schools, or a combination of building a new school with renovations at Abbott and Day schools.
“We talked about the different options that the MSBA will look at, if we go into the feasibility study will be if we do nothing if we bring everything up to code if we do a renovation on the Robinson school to meet the educational needs that we’ve identified and then if there was a new building,” Chew said.
The estimated costs for three new buildings were approximately $195,870,000, and the estimated cost for renovations at each facility plus modest renovations at Westford Academy would be $148,574,300. The estimated costs for a new building that could house 700 students combined with extensive renovations at Abbot and Day elementary schools and modest renovations at Westford Academy would be $212,194,888.
Also for the same $212 million figure, it is an option to have extensive renovations at Abbot, Day and Crisafulli elementary schools, modest renovations at Westford Academy, along with a larger facility at Robinson Elementary School.
“This again is to get us started knowing that this was from another conversation that was just coming out of the comprehensive facilities assessment review to give us some ballpark information,” Chew said.
The town may also contract with an Owners Project Manager, which is required for projects exceeding $1.5 million to ensure procurement is compliant with state law.
According to the town’s FY26 budget presented on Dec. 10, officials at the time estimated that the feasibility study would cost $2,000,000, with an $80,000 short-term interest payment. Since then, according to Finance Director Daniel O’Donnell, the cost of the study has increased to $2.5 million. However, he noted that the town does not need to immediately fund the difference.
Officials plan to request $2.5 million for the feasibility study at Annual Town Meeting on March 22. Las said that under the current financial model, funds can be captured in the existing budget.
Las did note that if the town opts to move forward with construction, officials may return to a future town meeting to request approximately $100 million to fund the project.
“If we move through the feasibility process and we decide to go forward with construction,” Las said, “We then go back to Annual Town Meeting or a Special Town Meeting and ask for that dollar amount. That is likely to be in the $100 million range. We would also then go to a ballot question to ask for that debt exclusion for an increase in the tax.”
The project could be eligible for reimbursement from the MSBA. Historically, the agency has reimbursed nearly half the cost of past projects. As only WestfordCAT reported, the Blanchard Middle School roof replacement received 48.05% of its cost offset by MSBA grants.
Committee members are now tasked with breaking down the costs of the feasibility study and how much the MSBA could reimburse the town as moves forward with the project.
The committee’s next meeting will be virtual on Jan. 21 at noon. An agenda can be found here.
