FAQ – Alternate Options

The Neary Building Committee is required to study the possibility of expansion as part of our Feasibility Study. The existing occupancy permit for the Woodward School would not allow us to have the current enrollment for these grades fit into this building without expansion. It also does not allow for any potential fluctuations in enrollment over time.

If Finn were to no longer be used as a school, it would be turned over to the Town for municipal use. A committee has done a preliminary exploration of how this could be re-purposed. The Town would need to continue this exploration.

Our application to the MSBA was focused on Grades 2 through 5. Any project on the Neary site that we hope to receive some MSBA funding for must conform to those grades. The Neary site was chosen originally due to its central location in town, adjacency to the existing Trottier Middle School, and ability to expand the potential footprint of the structure or reconfigure the location on the site.

No, it’s the exact opposite. The Neary School has significant capital needs to remain a functioning and safe school. When this process started in 2020, there was extensive collaboration between the School District and Town to bring forward a responsible plan if an outcome of the Neary project allows for the closing of an elementary school.