8/18/2019 City of Lawrence, MA - School Building Update

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City of Lawrence

Community update on school facilities

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City of Lawrence

Goals of the community update

• Provide a picture of the state of facilities needs district-wide

• Share an opportunity to receive significant state funding for new

school buildings & repairs

• Review which schools would be most likely to qualify for funding

• Discuss next steps including the City’s role and your role in the

coming months and years

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City of Lawrence

Agenda

• Snapshot on state of facilities in district

• Review school facility improvements over the last four years

• Outline opportunity for new school buildings funding through

MSBA (Massachusetts School Building Authority)

• Explain the MSBA criteria for funding new school projects

• Review targets for LPS MSBA application based on their criteria

• Provide a timeline for the process

• Explain how these new buildings align with the City’s larger

Capital Improvement Plan

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We have built new school buildings since 1990 in every

neighborhood except the north central part of the City

Northwest

- Guilmette

(2001)

Southwest- Wetherbee

(2003)

Northeast

- Parthum

(2002)

Southeast- South

Lawrence East

(1994)

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LPS facilities assessment summary

• Increasing enrollment over the next 10 years for: – North central section of the City for grades K-8

 – Citywide high school enrollment

• While there are many buildings that have been constructed in the

last 30 years, there are as many buildings built more than 90 yearsago

• Years of deferred maintenance have caused problems in many of

our buildings

• The Facilities Department has made considerable repairs to school

buildings over the last four years, but the older buildings can only

be properly addressed by major renovations or new buildings

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City of Lawrence

The City of Lawrence has an opportunity to replace and

renovate school buildings through the MSBA

What is the MSBA?

The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) is a state

agency that funds major school improvements to cities and towns.

How much could the City of Lawrence receive?

If the MSBA approves our project, the MSBA will pay for 80% of the

cost of new facilities.

Where does the funding come from to pay for MSBA projects?

1% of the state sales tax goes to the MSBA for new school

buildings. 

When is the next MSBA application for new schools?

This year’s deadline is early April, 2016.

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City of Lawrence

Because the MSBA receives hundreds of applications, the

agency has strict criteria for selecting projects

What are the MSBA’s criteria in selecting projects? 

• Projected increased student enrollment

• Overcrowding

• Age and condition of the building

• Size of the building and plot of land

• Large number of students served

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City of Lawrence

Based on the criteria, LPS has two strong target candidates for

MSBA application: Henry K. Oliver Building & Francis M. Leahy

Building

Oliver Leahy

Proj. increased student enrollment

Overcrowding

Age and condition of the building

Size of the building and plot of land

Large number of students served

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City of Lawrence

MSBA application is an initial step, with several years of

community engagement & city approvals ahead before a new

school would open

City submits

application

MSBA

approves

application

Design new

school with

community

Final approval

by Lawrence

City Council

and MSBA

Break ground

on new

building

Estimated timeline

New school

opens

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

*This is a conservative timeline

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City of Lawrence

The Mayor’s capital improvement plan includes many other

projects that benefit the City of Lawrence

Included in the Mayor’s capital improvement plan are: 

• School building projects

• Park improvements

• Fire engine replacements

• Police vehicle replacements

• Library building improvements

• Airport runway improvements

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City of Lawrence

Next steps

• Application is due to the state by April 8th, 2016

• If approved, we will begin a community visioning process

to design the elementary school(s) in 2018

• Questions and answers will be posted on the Mayor’swebsite within two weeks 

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Q&A