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Westwood committee finalizes MSBA Statement of Interest and hears neighborhood school concerns
Summary
Superintendent Tim Pifavar said the district completed its MSBA Statement of Interest for Thirstston and will submit after collecting certified signatures; public commenters urged the committee to explore options that preserve Sheen Elementary as a neighborhood school if reconfiguration is considered.
The Westwood School Committee on April 14 finalized the district’s Statement of Interest (SOI) to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) for Thirstston and heard emotional public comments urging preservation of neighborhood elementary schools.
Superintendent Tim Pifavar told the committee the district finished writing the SOI and needs certified documentation of the school committee and select board votes to meet the submission deadline at 11:59 p.m. on Friday. He outlined the MSBA review process, saying MSBA staff conduct a paper review and may request senior site studies; districts typically learn whether they are invited into the MSBA pipeline by the authority’s December board meeting.
The SOI work, Pifavar said, included identifying three priority areas—overcrowding, failing building systems and inability to deliver modern educational programming—and he described outreach and the screening steps that followed the application timeline. He emphasized the district’s intent to demonstrate community commitment to capital planning to strengthen the MSBA case.
During public comment, parent Beth Ali of Greenacre Road urged the committee to form a working group to explore options that would preserve Sheen as a neighborhood elementary school. “Neighborhood schools provide continuity and belonging,” Ali said, warning that closing Sheen under proposals that move grade five to a middle school would “break apart long-standing community networks.”
Committee members discussed how MSBA reimbursement rates are influenced by community demographics and said evidence of a townwide capital plan and other successful projects—such as the recent Pine Hill work—can improve the district’s competitiveness. The committee also described the need for certified evidence of select board approvals and noted the district would seek site studies if MSBA staff request them.
The committee did not make a final configuration decision at the meeting; Pifavar said the MSBA process and further local planning would determine next steps. He encouraged continued community engagement while the district pursues the SOI and related planning work.
The committee is expected to provide further updates on the SOI status and any senior site study invitations in fall to winter MSBA communications.
