It's Time for Pollard!

Inaccessible and undersized classrooms… Lack of a modern HVAC system to provide consistent heating, cooling, and air quality… Leaky roof… … Modular classrooms that have outlived their useful life… Outdated science labs… Lack of special education programming spaces… Small and antiquated auditorium… Undersized office and conference spaces…  

These are the conditions for learning for over 800 students at Pollard Middle School. And as your superintendent for 20 years, I have concluded that it’s finally time to focus on the needs of our grades 6-8 students to ensure they have the infrastructure, resources, and conditions for learning that will empower their success. Let me explain:

Since 2019, the Town has been studying and planning for our future school building needs and anticipated school building projects have been a subject of discussion for several years now. After years of study, Pollard Middle School was prioritized as the district's next school building project, and it has been accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) program, which provides significant reimbursements to towns to help reduce school construction costs.

We are currently in the midst of the feasibility period of the MSBA process. In September the town submitted seven options to the MSBA for consideration and all seven options are now being studied in greater depth and will be narrowed down to a single preferred option with a vote by the School Building Committee (SBC)/PPBC in early December. 

Upper left: 20 plus year old modulars Upper right: antiquated mechanicals 

Lower left: Storage and office space Lower right: Inaccessible bathroom

The SBC decision will be guided by the answers to three key questions: 

• Renovation or New Construction: Do we renovate and add on to the existing Pollard building, or build a new school? 

• Grade Configuration: Will the school reunite grades 6-8, which is the School Committee’s preferred option, or remain just grades 7 and 8?

• Site Selection: Will the school be built on the current Pollard site, or on a portion of the DeFazio site?

According to the current schedule, the preferred option will be submitted to the MSBA in mid December for their review.  (The Town could be eligible for a reimbursement of about 22% of the estimated construction costs.) Ultimately, in order to fund this project, the community will need to approve an override measure by ballot, which we anticipate in the fall of 2026.

I encourage parents and community members to learn more about this important project and stay updated in the months ahead.  We host periodic community meetings about the project, and the next one is coming up on Thursday, November 6, at 6:30 pm on Zoom. We are also hosting an Open House on Saturday, November 15, 9:00-10:30 am at Pollard, where you can take a tour and gain a better understanding of the challenges we face in the existing building.  More information about these events can be found on the Pollard Middle School Project website, which is your best resource for background on the project and current information. You can also sign up for our weekly email which will keep you informed.

It’s time for Pollard!

Upper left: Outdated and crowded science labs Upper right: Inadequate classroom HVAC

Lower left: Cot in health office Lower right: School entrance