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Winchester celebrates Lynch Elementary opening; superintendent reports facility upgrades district‑wide and MSBA site visit for Morocco school
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Hackett highlighted the smooth opening of the new Lynch Elementary, playground and roof upgrades at other schools, an $800,000 renovation at Morocco, and said the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) will visit Morocco after the district’s statement of interest advanced to the next round.
Winchester school leaders on Thursday celebrated the opening of the new Lynch Elementary School and reported a series of facilities upgrades across the district, while confirming that the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) will visit Morocco Elementary as part of a statement‑of‑interest review.
Superintendent Dr. Hackett told the school committee the Lynch opening “has been a pretty smooth opening for a brand new facility,” and praised staff and the project team for addressing remaining punch‑list items. He also thanked the town and the Department of Public Works for recent playground upgrades at Lincoln, Morocco and Ambrose and new roofs underway at Ambrose and McCall.
Regarding Morocco Elementary, Dr. Hackett said the district submitted a statement of interest to the MSBA this spring and that the MSBA’s senior team will inspect Morocco next week — a step indicating the district passed an early screening stage. “You can’t win a lottery if you don’t buy a ticket. We bought a ticket,” Dr. Hackett said, while cautioning that MSBA eligibility and final funding decisions occur months later and do not guarantee construction.
Committee members described the Morocco visit as positive news but reminded the public that MSBA interest does not mean an immediate project start; staff said any eligibility invitation likely would be known after the December break. Dr. Hackett also described a roughly $800,000 renovation at Morocco — completed in less than three months — that included kitchen and cafeteria improvements.
School leaders encouraged families to visit Lynch and noted districtwide investments: larger playgrounds, turf fields, and a renovated high‑school gym with new hardwood floor and bleachers. The superintendent said such projects were possible with town support and work by facilities staff and the owner’s project manager.
On nutrition services, district staff described expansion of an elementary breakfast program started as a pilot at Barranca. The service, operated by the district’s food‑service provider Woodson’s and supervised by school staff, offered premade, federally compliant packets and was averaging about 30–50 students per school in the first days of the school year. Staff said doors open at 7:45 a.m. for the program and that breakfast choices prioritize lower‑sugar items and a fruit/juice and milk option.
