To address Brookline's ongoing enrollment growth and space capacity issues, the School Committee, Board of Selectmen, Building Department staff, and School Department staff continue to work on three important capital improvement projects:  the site selection and construction of a 9th elementary school, the renovation and expansion of Brookline High School, and the rebuilding of the Devotion School.  Updates on the 9^th elementary school and BHS projects can be found below. Construction of the new Devotion School will begin this July 2016. For updates on the Devotion School project, please go here.

This is a critical time for all three of these projects. We will continue to post updates here on meetings and other information in an effort to keep families, community members, and staff informed about site selection and construction.

 

On October 13, 2016, after a process that began more than four years ago, more than 20 public meetings over the past year, and input from hundreds of community members, the Board of Selectmen and the Brookline School Committee voted to select the Baldwin School site as the location for the town's new elementary school. 

 

The two boards deliberated for more than two hours in the Brookline High School auditorium with each member taking a turn to explain in depth their reasons for selecting and ranking the sites. The public deliberations made it clear that there were varied opinions on each member's first choice but unanimity on supporting whichever site was eventually selected. The Board of Selectmen unanimously voted down proceeding with the Village School (Stop & Shop) site, while a majority of School Committee members identified the same site as their first choice. In the next round of voting, the School Committee voted in favor of the Baldwin School site while the Selectmen favored the Beverly Road site.

 

Further discussion ensued with those on both sides expressing the importance of coming to agreement on one site and expressing flexibility on a final decision. A final round of voting affirmed Baldwin as the selection as a majority of both boards voted in favor of building a new school at the Baldwin School site. 

 

The next stage of the process is a Feasibility Study which will be conducted by Jonathan Levy Architects between November 2016 and April 2017.