Mansfield School Building Project to go to Public Hearing

Nearly one year after the , the physical future of the Town’s public schools is headed to public hearing.

“I think people need to be made aware that we’re discussing this again," Deputy Mayor Toni Moran said. "There are some very major decisions to be made, including the locations of the schools," she said.

the in early March 2011, but then backed down later that month.

The council is now left to decide which option it will present to the public at the hearing, scheduled for Monday, March 5 at 7 p.m. The location of the meeting has not yet been determined.

The future of the town's middle school and three elementary schools has been discussed since 2005, when the Board of Education asked that a building committee be created "to review the capacity and condition of the town's four school buildings, with respect to current needs and future expansion," according to the board's May 24, 2010 recommendation report. 

“The bottom line is that the schools are old,” Mayor Elizabeth Paterson said earlier in the meeting.

“Right now we are trying to make classrooms that are 50 or 60 years old support education as it’s currently being taught.”

Below are summarized versions of Mansfield’s current options as presented at Tuesday’s council meeting. Cost estimates are based on a Spring referendum. Click on the attached PDF file above for further detail.

 ▪ Baseline ($25.4 million): Repair and maintain , and Schools and . This plan does not include the installation of solar panels.

 ▪ Option A ($30.9 million): Repair and maintain Vinton, Goodwin and Southeast and middle school. This plan includes the installation of solar panels.

▪ Option A Enhanced ($35.5 million): Completely renovate Annie E. Vinton, Dorothy C. Goodwin and Southeast Elementary Schools with limited additions. Renovate Mansfield Middle School. This plan includes the installation of solar panels.

▪ Option C ($64.5 million): Close one elementary school and make heavy alterations to the remaining two elementary schools. Renovate middle school.

▪ Option E (700 Students); ($61.3 million): Close one elementary school. Build two new elementary schools (sites to be determined). Renovate middle school.

▪ Option E (750 Students); ($63.8 million): Close Vinton, and demolish Goodwin and Southeast. Construct two new elementary schools (one at the Goodwin site, the other at the Southeast site). Renovate middle school.

The council will gather for another project workshop to further evaluate the options and cost estimates on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 5:30 p.m. The location of the meeting has not yet been determined.