In April of 2017, Walpole Public Schools submitted a Statement of Interest (SOI) to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), which is the first step in the MSBA’s program to approve funding of construction, renovation, or repair of affordable, sustainable, and energy efficient schools. The SOI informs MSBA about deficiencies that may exist in a local school facility and how those deficiencies inhibit the delivery of the district's educational program. The grant program may benefit Walpole with millions of dollars to offset the cost of modernizing school buildings.
During the 2017 submission process, MSBA received a total of 83 SOIs (submitted by 60 districts) into the Core Program. The MSBA considers several factors when reviewing the SOIs and making the decision which districts are invited into the Eligibility Period, the first step of the MSBA building process. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the age of the building, the conditions of major systems of the school, the current and projected enrollment, and the degree of urgency or need. Fifteen schools were invited into the Eligibility Period, when MSBA works with districts to determine their financial and community readiness and complete several preliminary requirements.
The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) informed the District that they passed over Walpole’s Statement of Interest, citing more severe needs in 15 school districts across the state. The 15 schools included 10 elementary schools, 4 high schools (4 out of the 5 are regional/vocational tech schools), and 1 middle school. Scopes of the projects range from repair projects to renovations to potential new schools. Ages of the buildings range from 1911 to 1971, with an average building age of 1951. Additional information indicated that although some districts were invited after submitting in 2017, other districts have been waiting for several years. Every year stands alone and is dependent on some of the factors mentioned above. MSBA encouraged Walpole Public Schools to re-submit for consideration next year. The submission deadline for consideration into the program is Friday, April 6.
Excerpts and data are taken from MSBA website, http://www.massschoolbuildings.org.
For more detailed information regarding the Eligibility period and Feasibility Study, visit http://www.massschoolbuildings.org/building/2018_SOIs.
