Forum To Discuss Dedham Public School Facilities

DEDHAM, MA — Dedham Public Schools are hosting a public forum on Monday to gather critical community input into the future improvements of Dedham school facilities. The meeting is one of the latest steps in the process to address the needs of the Riverdale, Oakdale and Greenlodge Elementary School buildings, all facilities that have not undergone significant renovations in the last 30 years. Current and future elementary student parents, in particular, are encouraged to attend the meeting.

The forum will take place at 7 p.m. at the Curran Early Childhood Education Center.

The Dedham School Building Rehabilitation Committee and School Committee have been working with Symmes, Maini, McKee and Associates over the last year. The Master Plan project seeks to secure strategic recommendations for next steps in the improvement, renovation, or replacement of school facilities in Dedham. Community meetings in June and October provided process insights and initial finding reports from SMMA, as well as opportunities for community questions.

Taking a small, focus group format on each eight relevant topics, the meeting will provide the most comprehensive opportunity for parents, community leaders and neighbors to express desires, concerns and considerations in advance of a formal, recommendation report from SMMA. Attendees will be encouraged to identify and expand perspectives on issues including walkability, community use, school size and culture, cost and schedule, and renovation vs. new construction.

“Our goal is to understand the needs and concerns of the community as we explore the options available when it comes to these Elementary school facilities,” said Dedham Superintendent Michael Welch. “The outcome of the process is one in which we hope to ensure that all our Dedham Public School students have equal access to classrooms that best support the next generation learning styles and flexible learning environments our schools have made so much progress in adopting.”

The next major step in the School Facility Master Planning process includes the submission of a Statement of Interest (SOI) letter to the Massachusetts State Building Authority by Spring 2020. This submission would begin the process of securing State support to partially fund the construction, renovation, addition or repair of at least one Dedham Elementary School.