The Triton Regional School Committee on Jan. 8 discussed the district’s invitation from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) to begin the core project eligibility process for the Byfield campus and approved the structure of a school building committee to guide the work.

Why it matters: Acceptance into the MSBA process starts a 270‑day eligibility window and begins a years‑long design and approval process that can lead to state matching funds for repairs or replacement of aging school facilities. The committee must form the school building committee within 60 days of the MSBA welcome and begin surveys, enrollment certification and other eligibility tasks.

Superintendent and committee briefing: The superintendent told the committee the district requested to be placed on the earliest MSBA welcome schedule; the eligibility period begins Feb. 3 and runs for 270 days, ending Oct. 31. The superintendent said staff expect a realistic scheduling window of October or December for the next MSBA board milestone, acknowledging the MSBA phases and the district’s need to collect enrollment, survey and vote materials.

“The eligibility period is 270 days,” the superintendent said, and added the district can begin outreach and committee work immediately to accelerate the process. Chair Linda Locoski called the MSBA invitation “an enormous undertaking” and thanked past and present staff and town leaders who helped bring the district to the MSBA doorstep.

Committee action: The committee agreed on a smaller, 18‑member model for the school building committee rather than a larger 27-member model. The approved concept includes representation from the school committee, town officials, parents, staff and two high-school students (the committee amended the initial draft to include two high‑school students instead of one middle and one high-school student). The students will be nonvoting members; other seats will be voting members. The committee also agreed to discourage household overlaps (for example, a parent and a student from the same family occupying separate voting seats) to avoid concentrated influence.

BoardDocs and logistics: The superintendent said the district will circulate model nomination language and a notice to the organizations authorized to nominate members (school councils, town select boards, finance committees, etc.). Nominations will be returned and the school committee expects to vote on the final roster at its March meeting. The superintendent said the district will also hold a kickoff call with the MSBA and named Robin McElhinney as the MSBA contact who will coordinate the process.

Timing and practical notes: The committee heard that MSBA schedules welcome phases across districts; the superintendent said early‑to‑mid fall is a realistic estimate for full eligibility approval but staff will push for the earliest possible board meeting. The committee discussed the importance of continuity on the building committee, the need for members who can commit substantial time, and the use of topic‑specific advisory input (design specialists, subject-matter experts, teachers and students) at stages of schematic design.

Vote: A member moved to approve the makeup and selection process for the school building committee as discussed; another member seconded and the motion passed. One committee member registered an opposed vote during the voice vote. The superintendent will draft nominations requests and bring a roster to the committee for approval in March.

Ending: The district’s MSBA eligibility period begins Feb. 3. The school committee directed the superintendent to begin outreach and to return a final roster for approval in March.