Schools
Westwood Hanlon School Building Project Update
Westwood is faced with three possibilities for the future of the Hanlon School, community input will be sought beginning in the fall.
On March 1, Superintendent Emily Parks and School Committee Chair Charles Donahue sent out an email concerning the ongoing Hanlon School project. In 2018, Westwood was accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) program with a focus on the Paul J. Hanlon school which is located in the Islington village of Westwood.
Per the email, “Westwood was invited into the MSBA based primarily on the condition of our oldest elementary school, the Hanlon School, which was built in 1951. As a result, any new project receiving MSBA funding must include Hanlon.”
The three potential options for modernization are:
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- Rebuild Hanlon School for a capacity of 315 students (its current enrollment is 221 students)
- Build a combined Hanlon/Deerfield School for a capacity of 560 students (Current enrollment of both schools is 458).
- Build a combined Hanlon/Sheehan School for a capacity of 685 students (Current enrollment at both schools is 582)
A search is currently on for a Project Manager for this project. Said project manager will hopefully attend the MSBA board meeting on June 3 or on July 15, 2019.
How does this affect interested Westwood residents? “Community engagement” for this project should begin in the fall of 2019. According to the email “...whatever plan is ultimately approved, it will be with the input of the community and will leave us well positioned to continue providing the highest quality education.”