The process to appoint the School Building Committee (SBC) has begun. Communications are being sent out to various groups directly from those identified below as responsible for nominating representation to the SBC. Anyone interested in participating can reach out to the appropriate contact, and those details can be found at the "District Staff" link above. Ultimately, the School Committee will vote to appoint the SBC based on the nominations from the various representative groups, and that is anticipated to be completed no later than their March 12, 2025 meeting. You can view an overview of the SBC in PDF format at this link.

What is a School Building Committee?

A "School Building Committee (SBC)" in the context of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) is a locally appointed committee within a school district that works directly with the MSBA to oversee the planning, design, and construction of a new school building or major renovation project, ensuring it meets the state's standards and funding guidelines while representing the community's needs throughout the process. The School Building Committee makes a final recommendation to the School Committee for a building design.

What‘s expected of School Building Committee members?

School Building Committees for projects in the MSBA’s Core program often run 5-7 years from the time the committee is established and starts the study and pre-design work through project completion and the final audit. The main meetings will happen every 3-4 weeks, usually in the evenings, and they often last 2-3 hours. Depending on the specific tasks for each meeting, members will be expected to review varying amounts of materials in advance of the meetings to be prepared for scheduled discussions, and materials are provided at least 2 days prior. In addition, the SBC will take a lead role in scheduling and coordinating various discussion groups, community meetings, and other listening sessions that will be scheduled periodically through the design phase to share information and general feedback on the process and design. Members will be expected and encouraged to gather input from those they represent throughout the process. Members are considered public officials and are expected to comply with Massachusetts State Ethics, which may somewhat limit the members’ ability to advocate in the lead-up to the votes. Meetings will be open to the public and video recorded.

Who will serve on the School Building Committee for Triton’s Middle School/High School project?

The School Committee will appoint a fully representative SBC as outlined below. As noted above, even though the dedicated SBC is a smaller group for the purpose of efficiency, all Triton Community members will have opportunities throughout the process and project to provide input and feedback into the design and decisions made.

School Administration:

• Superintendent of Schools
• Director of Finance & Operations

• District Facilities Manager

• Middle School Principal

• High School Principal

• School Committee members

Staff/Students/Families:

• 1 Middle School Educator (nominated by Principal)

• 1 Middle School Parent/Guardian (nominated by Middle School Council)

• 1 High School Educator (nominated by Principal)

• 2 High School Students (nominated by Student Council, students will be non-voting members of the SBC)

• 1 HIgh School Parent/Guardian (nominated by High School Council)

Town & Community:

• Newbury Town Official (Nominated by Newbury Select Board)

• Rowley Town Official (Nominated by Rowley Board of Selectmen)

• Salisbury Town Official (Nominated by Salisbury Board of Selectmen)

• 2 Community Members with Architecture, Construction, or Engineering Experience (nominated by Superintendent and Facilities Manager)

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Based on some of the questions folks have raised about timing, I wanted to provide a follow-up to the news we shared via a press release last week about the Middle/High School being welcomed into the MSBA pipeline. 

For starters and to clarify any confusion, those who receive the print edition of the Daily News will see that our exciting news was prominently printed on the front page today, but with a Pentucket Regional headline and location. I am not quite sure how that could happen, but I have been in communication with Dave Rogers (the Editor) today, and the error has been corrected in the online version. I also expect a correction alongside the original press release will be in tomorrow's paper.  Please rest assured that I will provide accurate and timely updates directly to you as we work through the process in the months ahead. 

You can see our official welcome letter into "Module 1 - Eligibility" by clicking here, but I did want to provide a quick summary of what comes next. 

***What happens DURING the Eligibility Period? ***

• Our timeline starts on February 3rd, and we have up to 9 months (270 days) to complete a series of tasks. We anticipate being able to check several boxes quickly and hope to complete everything by the end of next summer.

• There are several administrative tasks that need to be completed in Module 1, ranging from documentation of existing procedures to agreeing on future enrollment projections that will become the basis of a proposed solution, but the two key tasks are: 

  • Establishing the Building Committee: This process will begin in January by the School Committee, and be finalized by April. The Building Committee will have a broad representation of all constituents, including school and town officials, educators, students, and family/community members. 
  • Funding the Feasibility Study: Since we have been hoping for this welcome into the MSBA program for years, we have worked with our town officials to set aside funding ($1.7M) to pay for this first portion of the process. This means we do not have to bring a request to town meetings for approval and an override vote. This is generally a major hurdle for districts, and having this in place is one of the reasons that we will be able to 'check all the boxes' in Module 1 more quickly than most! 

***What happens AFTER the Eligibility Period? ***

• Once we complete the Eligibility Period tasks, we return to the MSBA to be welcomed into Module 2 
• The real work begins once a design team is selected at the beginning of Module 2 and we start the Feasibility Study. We hope to begin that selection process by fall of next year (2025).
• During that next phase (18 to 24 months) we will be studying ALL options, from a simple renovation of the existing spaces to a full knock down and building an entirely new building, and all variations in between. This extensive study is a requirement of the MSBA process!
• As noted in the letter, we will even study the concept of bringing the 6th grade over to the middle school (to potentially make it a 6-8 middle school, a configuration common in other districts) as part of this process.  Whether or not to move in that direction is a decision that will be made down the road, with extensive opportunity for community feedback!
• We anticipate bringing a fully developed proposed design and budget to town meetings for approval and funding votes in 2027, hopefully by the spring. If the project is approved, that would mean construction begins in late 2027 or early 2028.
• We would expect the actual construction phase to take between 18 and 24 months, depending on the complexity of the chosen design. As a general rule, new construction is often quicker than phased remodeling and renovation. 
• The study and development of a schematic design will provide many opportunities for engagement and involvement for everyone, from teachers and students to families and community members, ensuring that we develop a solution that affordably meets all our needs. 

There is much to be done, but I am thrilled that we are on our way.  I will be sharing much more later this winter and spring, but please don't hesitate to reach out if there are any questions I can answer for you. 

Respectfully,

Brian

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Brian L. Forget

Superintendent of Schools

Triton Regional School District

(978) 465-2397

Superintendent Brian Forget and the Triton Regional School Committee are pleased to share that the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Board of Directors voted on Friday, December 13th to welcome the Middle/High School into the Eligibility Period. This vote signals the start of a multi-year partnership with the MSBA that will provide a robust study of the existing campus needs, including a review of all possible solutions (renovation, addition, and rebuild). The MSBA’s grants fund a significant portion of the projects resulting from these partnerships. School Committee Chair Linda Litcofsky reflected, "We have spent many years now working on how best to address the well-documented needs at the regional campus, and I am so pleased for this approval from the MSBA as it will open the door to such great possibilities for our future students, staff, and our entire community." 

The news today comes at a crucial time, as the District and town officials from the three Triton member towns of Newbury, Rowley, and Salisbury have been working on an alternative option in case the District was not welcomed into the program. The research and planning that has been done since the start in 2019 with a Facilities Assessment will help inform and expedite the options review through the MSBA process. Chair of the Rowley Board of Selectmen, Christine Kneeland shared “I have been on the Triton Facilities Subcommittee since its inception, and the Triton School Committee and Administration have been filing applications on this project with the MSBA since 2022. I feel great pleasure that the MSBA has finally accepted Triton into their program. and I look forward to seeing the project all the way through to the ribbon-cutting ceremony!”

After the School Committee establishes a school building committee comprised of a variety of stakeholders, the Feasibility Study is expected to begin in spring 2025. This stage requires the review of all possible project options to create a cost-effective building solution with an assumed 50+ year life expectancy and is expected to cost roughly $1,500,000 to $1,750,000. Over the past 5 years, the District, with the support of town officials and approval of Town Meetings, established and funded a Stabilization Account in this amount, to eliminate the need to turn to taxpayers. "The planning throughout this process has been thorough and complete, and the District has maintained constant communication with us over the past few years as Town Officials and involved us in the process," Newbury Selectboard Chair Alicia Greco shared. 

Once established, the School Building Committee will be focused on a cost-effective solution that meets the needs of Triton’s students, staff, and member communities. Ultimately, a fully developed project design and budget will be brought forward for approval by annual town meetings and a construction funding vote at the ballot box. That is expected to occur in 2027 at the earliest.  Michael Colburn, Chairman of the Salisbury Board of Selectmen stated, "I am thrilled about the partnership with the MSBA and what it means for our future students, and our Community needs to know that we are committed to doing this cost-effectively." A partnership with the MSBA expands the options to be considered and does not mean that a 'Cadillac' option needs to be selected. 

The District is being welcomed into "Module 1 - Eligibility" effective February 3, 2025 and will be required to study all possible solutions. A final decision around the right approach and solution will be confirmed in the months and years ahead with multiple opportunities for community-wide input before the full project design is developed, proposed, and brought before residents for approval. The District is committed to providing the Triton Community with routine and comprehensive updates and opportunities to participate in the process. You can read extensive details on the prescribed MSBA process at https://www.massschoolbuildings.org/building. 

Anyone with questions is encouraged to contact Superintendent Brian Forget at [email protected].