NORWOOD — The Norwood Middle School Building Committee wishes to thank the community for its overwhelming approval of a Town Meeting warrant article to fund the New Coakley Middle School Project, by a vote of 153-1 tonight.
Special Town Meeting, which convened on Monday, March 14 at Norwood High School, voted in favor of a warrant article to fund any Coakley project costs above the grant funding approved by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). This may include costs related to construction, demolition, equipment, furnishings, site work, testing, professional services such as design and engineering, and relocation for a new Coakley Middle School.
“The Middle School Building Committee worked rigorously to evaluate the current building and plan for the future of the Coakley Middle School, creating an exceptional building that will provide an extraordinary learning environment for our Coakley students and educators for years to come,” General Manager Tony Mazzucco said. “We are thankful to Norwood’s Town Meeting members for their support of this vision and the Coakley Middle School project.”
The MSBA approved the Coakley project on March 2, indicating that it intends to participate in the funding of the project, contributing a grant of up to approximately $46 million. At this time, the expected town share is approximately $104 million.
With tonight’s approval, the project moves on to a ballot vote on Monday, April 4. Pending voter approval in April, the project will enter MSBA’s Module 6: Project Scope and Budget Phase, and will then proceed with design development and construction bid procurement.
About the Project:
In 2017, the Norwood Public Schools completed a district-wide facility study to review the elementary and middle schools. The Coakley Middle School was identified as the school with the most building deficiencies. The town submitted a Statement of Interest (SOI) to the MSBA in 2018 and was invited into the program.
The proposed new Coakley Middle School would open in 2025 for approximately 1,070 middle school students. Learn more about the project and subscribe to receive email updates at newcmsproject.org.
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