FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 03/28/2024
For further information, contact:
Susan Scully Petroni
City of Framingham Public Information Officer
spetroni@framinghamma.gov
508-782-8629
Framingham School Building Committee To Hold Inaugural Meeting Monday, April 1
FRAMINGHAM – School Building Committee Chair George P. King. Jr. has scheduled the first meeting for Monday, April 1, 2024.
The meeting will be hybrid – held in the Blumer room in the Memorial Building at 7 p.m. and on Zoom.
Mayor Charlie Sisitsky on October 31, 2023, signed an executive order to create a 13-member Framingham School Building Committee.
In 2024, Mayor Sisitsky named City Councilor King as the Committee Chair.
“As a seasoned professional with years of experience in finance and education, George brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Framingham School Building Committee. His background in finance has given him a keen eye for detail and an ability to navigate complex budgets, while his experience in education has given him a deep understanding of the needs of students, teachers, and administrators,” said Mayor Charlie Sisitsky.
King, who served as Town Manager from 1999 to 2005, appointed and oversaw the committee responsible for the renovation project at Framingham High School.
From 2005 to 2017, King was the Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Nashoba Regional School District. While in that role he was involved with the construction of Center Elementary School in Stow.
Councilor King has been an at-large City Councilor since 2018, having served as Chair of the Council, and is currently the Finance Subcommittee Chair.
Mayor Sisitsky named District 4 School Committee member Adam Freudberg, as vice chair of the building committee. A former chair of the School Committee, Freudberg has served as School Committee Finance Subcommittee Chair.
In December, the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Board of Directors voted to officially invite Framingham Public Schools into the eligibility period, which would provide funding support for a school building project in Framingham.
The City of Framingham is looking to replace Hemenway Elementary School on Water Street, which was built in 1961. The existing facility is insufficient for the enrollment and curriculum of the Framingham Public Schools, and the existing building’s scale and orientation of spaces are outdated and unable to properly adapt to the needs of contemporary school.
The City of Framingham hired architects to perform a pre-feasibility study in 2019 for the expansion or replacement of the existing Hemenway Elementary School. This pre-feasibility study delved into the existing building and site, and also expanded to looking at options for a new site, including the possibility of a new southside school.
Last year, the City of Framingham, in a collaboration between the Mayor and the City Council, purchased a 35-acre property from the Sisters of St. Joseph along Bethany Road for educational purposes.
In December 2023, the Mayor named his four appointees to the Framingham School Building Committee. They were Matteo Batista, Roslyn Child, Rachel Evans, and David Panich.
The School Committee selected its chair Jessica Barnhill, from District 8, Freudberg, and District 2 School Committee member David Gordon to serve on the School Building Committee.
City Council Chair Phil Ottaviani Jr. named King, District 5 Councilor Noval Alexander and District 9 Councilor Tracey Bryant to the School Building Committee. Both are former Framingham School Committee members.
The School Committee on January 17, 2024, selected Erin Asbury, Brittney Karpierz, and Scott Wadland to complete the 13-member School Building Committee.
On the agenda for Monday is introduction of members, presentation on what has been done to date on the project and the strategic plan & vision for the project, current condition of Hemenway Elementary School on Water Street, and overview of the MSBA process, review of Open Meeting Law & State Ethics Law, and setting future meeting dates.
City of Framingham Chief Operating Officer Michael Tusino III, Superintendent of Schools Bob Tremblay, Hemenway Principal Marguerite Simpson-Lackard, Framingham Public School District Director of Buildings & Grounds Matt Torti, and CFO Jennifer Pratt, are non-voting members of the Committee.
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