Board approves Buckingham Elementary schematic design; $71 million project to proceed to county and state review

The Worcester County Board of Education on Tuesday approved schematic design documents for the replacement of Buckingham Elementary School and authorized staff to present the design to the county commissioners and submit documents to the Interagency Commission on School Construction (IAC).

Architects from Becker Morgan Group presented a two-story design that places the new 90,837 gross-square-foot building near the existing school footprint, separates car drop-off from bus traffic, and creates an amphitheater-like terraced lawn on the Main Street side. The plan includes pre-K classrooms, a media center designed as a visual “beacon,” centrally located art and STEAM spaces, and a fenced pre-K play area.

The schematic estimate lists a May 2027 construction start and a projected opening in fall 2029. The construction budget shown in schematic design totaled about $62.35 million (including a 3% contingency and escalation to a May 2027 start). When site work, demolition, furniture, technology, consultants and other project costs are included, the total project cost in the presentation was $71,000,000. The team said the state share is estimated at $25,000,000 and the county share about $46,000,000 under the current Memorandum of Understanding among the county, the board and the state.

Board member Donald Smack moved approval of the schematic documents; Dr. John Andes seconded and the motion carried with the board’s unanimous vote recorded in open session.

The board directed staff to present the approved schematic to the Worcester County Commissioners and to submit the packet to the IAC for state review. The architects said the next steps are design development through September 2025, construction documents and a fall 2026 bid period, construction from May 2027 through August 2029 and a planned fall 2029 opening for the Berlin community.

Designers noted site constraints—community preference to retain the school location and limited site area—but said the plan increases on-site drop-off stacking and separates bus circulation to improve safety and traffic flow. Materials under consideration include masonry and cementitious panels for long life and low maintenance; engineering teams will continue to evaluate mechanical systems, including a life-cycle cost analysis of alternatives such as geothermal.

The board approved the schematic documents and instructed staff to proceed to county and state review.