Facilities Master Plan
Read the final report prepared by CannonDesign and presented to School Committee on 1/25/24.
Stay tuned for next steps in this exploratory process!
Stay tuned for next steps in this exploratory process!
The district has embarked on an ambitious project to review our school buildings and develop a plan for our long-term future.
We are joined in this work by CannonDesign, a national architecture and planning firm with deep experience in PreK-12 education.
The stakeholder group working closely with CannonDesign is the District Planning Committee (DPC); see below for a list of members.
At the end of this process, the district will have a comprehensive Facilities Master Plan.
Our commitments
The process for developing the Facilities Master Plan will be both inclusive and transparent.
The DPC will develop guiding principles, use objective data, and incorporate stakeholder voice.
Students, parents/guardians, educators, School Committee members, district administrators, and town officials will all be represented in the group.
View presentations and reports
1/25/24 Memo to School Committee re FMP
1/25/24 CannonDesign Final Report (slides, video)
12/14/23 School Committee: Final Recommendations
(slides) (video)
11/2/23 Community Forum #2 (slides) (video)
10/26/23 School Committee Meeting (and slides)
10/14/23 District Planning Committee Meeting #2
9/18/23 Community Forum #1 (and video)
9/14/23 School Committee Meeting
8/9/23 District Planning Committee Meeting #1
Facilities Conditions
Assessment Reports
Assessment Reports
Read these reports to learn more about the assessments completed on our buildings.
The reports outline maintenance needs that will need to be addressed over the next 10 years, along with projected costs.
Calendar of Facilities Master Plan events
Workshop #1: District Planning Committee Wednesday, Aug. 9 12:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Establish guiding principles
Community Forum #1 and Launch of Survey #1 Monday, Sept. 18 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Listen for community values and decision criteria
Workshop #2: District Planning Committee Saturday, Oct. 14 9:00 a.m - 3:30 p.m.
Review results of Survey #1 and Facilities Assessment;
develop draft options
Community Forum #2 and Launch of Survey #2 Thursday, Nov. 2 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Provide input on draft options presented by Cannon
Workshop #3: District Planning Committee Tuesday, Dec. 5 4:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Review results of Survey # 2;
finalize recommendations to School Com.
What is a Facility Master Plan?
A Facilities Master Plan is a planning document that:
identifies and prioritizes capital improvement projects;
informs critical decisions around facilities use; and,
analyzes fundamental district operations, such as educational programs and grade configurations, and their relationship to school size, location, and facility needs.
What does the process look like?
The District Planning Committee (DPC) will meet five times over a four month period, from early August through early December. These five gatherings include three meetings of the DPC, along with two Community Forums.
At these forums, the community at large will provide input into Facilities Master Plan goals and priorities, as well as review proposed plan options. The community will have additional opportunities to provide feedback through online surveys. We will advertise the forums widely to generate as much participation as possible.
At the conclusion of the process, CannonDesign, with close consultation of the DPC, will make independent recommendations to the School Committee.
What is the role of the District Planning Committee?
DPC volunteers fill a vital role by:
reviewing baseline data related to facilities and student demographics data;
analyzing the results of two community surveys;
developing draft options for long-term operational and capital plans;
developing ideas that build from community input; and,
informing final recommendations to District and Town leadership.
District Planning Committee Members
School Committee
Reina Dastous, Chair, Northfield
Michele Giarusso, Leyden
District Administration
Patricia Kinsella, Superintendent, Co-Chair
Jordan Burns, Director of Finance & Operations, Co-Chair
Nancy Parlakulas, Director of Student Services
Kate Messmer, Director of Teaching & Learning
Gretchen Licata, Director of Facilities
Maren Law, Early Childhood Coordinator
Cindy Schultz, BES Principal
Krissy Schreiber, NES Principal
Matt Sullivan, PVRS Principal
Town Officials
Brian Keir, Bernardston Select Board
Andrea Llamas, Northfield Town Administrator
Educators/Staff
Danika Tyminski, PVRS
Joshua Freund, PVRS
Jordan Cummings, Env. Educator
Families
Shane Duclos, PVRS
Magan MacDougall-Goulding, NES
Students
Calla McKeon, PVRS
Lex Singh, PVRS
Restoration Ecologist
John Lepore