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Uxbridge officials review school capital projects, set timeline for $1.6 million safety bid
Summary
Town and school leaders updated the board on completed school capital projects that will return year-end balances, discussed a planned $1.6 million districtwide school security project to go out to bid this winter, and outlined playground and IT upgrades alongside potential grant opportunities.
The Town of Uxbridge and school officials reviewed year-end capital balances and updates to school facilities and technology at a capital-planning meeting that closed on Oct. 28. Incoming Superintendent Dave Youngberg introduced district facilities and technology staff and said several projects finished under budget, freeing money to return to town accounts.
"Those three projects" — the Whiting doors, the Whiting HVAC chiller and one other completed initiative — "will return a total of those 3 projects of $74,404.04," Speaker 1 reported to the board. Youngberg said the district is finalizing architectural designs for broader security upgrades and expects to put the work out to bid this winter.
The board discussed a districtwide school safety project Youngberg described as roughly a $1.6 million endeavor. "We'll be going out to bid this winter, for the million 6 project," he said, adding that construction could begin in summer 2026 provided bids and procurement proceed on schedule. Youngberg emphasized that long lead times on security doors and related equipment are driving the project schedule.
Marty Shaw, introduced as the district facilities director, and Sean Bozan, the district director of technology, presented more detailed line-item updates. Bozan said $23,000 of the district's security allocation has been spent so far from an overall security budget piece he referenced and that some vendor invoices remain outstanding.
"PowerSchool is a student information system that was desperately needed," Bozan said when describing the district's recent investment in student-management software. The board was told $138,000 had been allocated for PowerSchool, with about $28,000 remaining in that line as of the year-end accounting statement while invoices clear.
Capital work completed or near-complete includes new doors and a chiller at Whiting, locker-room and auxiliary lighting at UHS, a new social-emotional classroom, and a planned "quiet corner" playground space the district expects to install within a $40,000 budget. Youngberg said a separate $40,000 architectural allowance remains for emergency/secondary egress plans at UHS; vendor selection is pending.
Board members flagged grant opportunities: Speaker 7 reported the town received an earmarked legislative grant of $15,000 to design upgrades at Whiting School and Heckler Playground and noted that updating the town recreation master plan would improve competitiveness for larger grants (up to $250,000 on some programs). The board also discussed green-community grant criteria and whether weatherization and HVAC improvements at the police station could improve the town's scoring for assistance.
The meeting closed with scheduling decisions: police, fire and DPW will bring status updates to the Nov. 6 meeting; items requiring additional review will be scheduled for subsequent sessions.
No formal vote on any capital appropriation or debt-exclusion borrowing occurred at this meeting; board members agreed to return with bids, final cost estimates and any ballot article language before requesting voter approval.
