Amherst Awarded $33.7M Grant for New Wildwood Elementary School
BOSTON—State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg, Chair of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), and MSBA Chief Executive Officer Maureen Valente announced today that the MSBA Board of Directors voted to approve a grant of up to $33,716,673 million for a project to construct a new Wildwood Elementary School in the Town of Amherst. One of the next steps is for the District and the MSBA to enter into a Project Funding Agreement, which will detail the project’s scope and budget, along with the conditions under which the District will receive its MSBA grant.
“Upon completion, this project will provide a new 21st century learning environment for Elementary School students in Amherst,” Treasurer Goldberg said. “Our goal is to create the best space to deliver the District’s educational commitments and goals.”
The project will consolidate the existing Wildwood Elementary School and Fort River Elementary School into two new “co-located” elementary schools, in one building, serving grades 2-6 on the existing Wildwood Elementary School site. The existing facility, built in 1940, suffers from deficiencies including: ineffective open floor plan; lack of natural light in many classrooms; lack of fire sprinklers and fire alarms; and obsolete mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.
“Students will soon have a beautiful new space which will undoubtedly enhance and improve their ability to excel in the classroom.” stated Chief Executive Officer Valente.
The MSBA partners with Massachusetts communities to support the design and construction of educationally appropriate, flexible, sustainable and cost-effective public school facilities. Since its 2004 inception, the Authority has made over 1,700 site visits to more than 250 school districts as part of its due diligence process and has made over $12.2 billion in reimbursements for school construction projects.
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