WEST NEWBURY — Superintendent Justin Bartholomew is pleased to announce that the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has awarded a $52.75 million grant to the district for the combined middle-high school building project.
Four years ago, Pentucket Regional School District (PRSD) was accepted into the MSBA process for the first time since a proposed new high school building was voted down in the late 1990s. After years of working with the district to create a cost efficient building design that would meet the needs of students, the MSBA voted to award a $52.75 million grant to help fund the project on Wednesday, April 10.
“We are thrilled, and incredibly thankful, that the MSBA has awarded us $52.75 million to support this project,” Superintendent Bartholomew said. “This grant directly aligns with what we had projected and hoped the MSBA would award us for this new facility, and this money will greatly reduce residents’ share of the cost.”
The grant includes several million dollars that the MSBA has awarded the district in support of its decisions to plan for energy efficiency in the new facility, as well as the district’s hiring of a construction manager.
“I can’t emphasize enough how important this grant is, and how fortunate we are that the state is helping the Pentucket community fund this facility,” Superintendent Bartholomew said. “They’ve been an invaluable resource over the past few years, offering us knowledgeable insight into the most efficient ways to meet our district’s needs.”
Residents in Groveland, Merrimac and West Newbury will vote on Monday, April 29 whether to approve the funding request for the project and again in a ballot vote on May 6.
###