Needham School Committee asks Parks & Rec to continue talks on Pollard, DeFazio sites for proposed 6–8 school

Michael O—9Brien, chair of the Needham School Committee, told the Parks and Recreation Commission on Oct. 27 that the committee supports a new 6–8 school and seeks continued collaboration with Parks & Recreation on possible site options between Pollard and DeFazio.

"It's great to be here and engaging with you ... we appreciate the concerns and are committed to a cooperative approach," O—9Brien said, presenting a letter the school committee delivered to Parks & Rec and noting that staff responses to technical questions will be posted on the project website.

The school committee said last week—s feasibility questions generated additional follow-ups and that staff provided answers that will be available to commissioners and to the public. "We look forward to partnering with you to meet the evolving educational needs of our students while preserving and strengthening our recreational spaces," Alyssa Scafford, vice chair of the School Committee and a School Building Committee member, said.

School leaders said the committee—s preferred program is a new 6–8 middle school. They described tradeoffs between the two sites under study: Pollard has constraints that may limit design goals such as daylighting and direct outdoor connections, while DeFazio is a flatter parcel that appears promising but carries known complexities including wetlands, traffic and conservation issues that will require further study. O—9Brien said the information so far has shifted his view toward DeFazio in terms of meeting the project—s educational and sustainability goals.

Commissioners and staff agreed to post the questions-and-answers publicly and to accept follow-up questions; staff said they will publish the materials on the project website and update the FAQs as needed. The School Committee said it will continue public outreach, present the seven conceptual options developed by the designers, and meet with user groups and town boards as the studies progress. No formal land-transfer or other binding action was taken at the meeting.

Why it matters: A school location decision would affect town-owned recreation fields and open space, generate traffic and wetlands review, and could require formal property or operational changes between town departments. Commission members said they welcome ongoing dialogue and expect technical studies and community feedback to shape next steps.