The new Fall Brook Elementary School project is an exciting opportunity to create a modern and new elementary school that meets current educational standards while retaining the charm and welcoming atmosphere of the original 60’s era school. The current school, although beloved, is almost 60 years old, and all the original systems are well beyond their useful life.  The project team reviewed several options for Fall Brook, including renovating the existing school, an addition/ renovation option, and several all-new building options.  All of these options proposed new mechanical and electrical systems; however, because of the age of the building and extent of reconfigurations, any renovation or addition scheme would be required to meet full ADA compliance, be fully sprinklered (the existing building is not) and meet the modern energy code.  The resulting code-required upgrades, including to the exterior walls and roofs, made these schemes both infeasible and NOT cost effective.

 The proposal for the new Fall Brook is for a 2-story building, with an area that is approximately 40% greater than the existing school.  This modern, 105,000-square-foot facility will transform the learning experience. Students will have access to specialized classrooms for art, science and technology, and music—spaces that are specifically designed to inspire creativity and foster hands-on learning. The new building will feature dedicated area for OT/PT, shared project rooms, speech therapy, sensory, English language learning rooms, and flexible learning spaces tailored to different styles and needs, and in particular, a full suite of special education spaces and support rooms which will help students of all abilities thrive.

 The building systems will all be brand-new, modern, and efficient, and will help provide a safe, healthy, and sustainable environment.  The gym and library will right-sized to alleviate the crowded conditions.  Classrooms and support spaces will have plenty of windows for natural light and will provide views to the outside.  These outside areas will contain new and upgrade play areas, playing fields, and outdoor learning spaces.  The parking and access roads will be enlarged and reconfigured to ease congestion on DeCicco Drive and will be separated from through traffic to Samoset Middle School. 

 The project, developed in partnership with the Massachusetts School Building Authority,  will provide the families of Leominster with a modern and cost-effective learning environment that will help them continue to attain 21^st century skills.

Yes, the new school will have enough space for the students and be able to accommodate future enrollment variations. The completed school will be significantly larger than the existing school and will be designed with flexibility in mind. The existing school was constructed in 1966 for 550 students. It was designed under very different and less generous standards than modern day schools. After the MSBA performed a rigorous study of population trends, which was fine-tuned based on local information provided by the district, the two parties agreed upon a new design enrollment of 610 students. The new design enrollment exceeds the existing school’s design, which points to a larger school being an appropriate solution. Futhermore, the MSBA’s space guidelines exceed that of the original school design; the completed school will have a larger gymnasium, cafeteria, kitchen, and library, and will have more and larger classrooms, right-sized Special Education spaces to meet the needs of the of the school, and more administrative offices and workspaces than the current school.

The current school building has an area of 70.957 gross square feet (GSF) and the new school building will have an area of 104,501 GSF.

An explanation of the MSBA’s enrollment methodology is available on the MSBA website: https://www.massschoolbuildings.org/building/prerequisites/enrollment_methodology

The City of Leominster is working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) on the Fall Brook Elementary School Building project. The MSBA is a quasi-independent government agency that funds capital improvement projects in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ public schools. The MSBA “work[s] with local communities to create affordable, sustainable, and energy-efficient schools across Massachusetts.” It has a dedicated revenue stream of one penny of the Commonwealth’s 6.25 percent sales tax. Since 2004, the MSBA has made more than $17.7 billion in reimbursement payments to school districts for school construction projects.

Typical MSBA school projects take anywhere from five to seven years to complete given the rigorous and multi-step process the MSBA requires. The process for Fall Brook Elementary School began in December 2022 when the MSBA invited the City of Leominster into the Eligibility Period in response to the district’s Statement of Interest (SOI). The design phase is ongoing and is expected to continue through July 2026. The project is scheduled for bidding in summer 2026 and construction to begin in October 2026. The new school building is scheduled to be open for classes in January 2029 followed by demolition of the existing building and completion of site work by summer 2029.

The total project cost is anticipated to be $114.8 million. This value includes all costs related to the project, including construction of the new school and site, demolition of the existing school, furnishings and equipment, professional fees, etc.

The MSBA and the city are partnering together to pay for the project. It is estimated that the MSBA will provide a maximum grant of $67.3 million and the minimum city share will be $47.5 million. These figures are currently under review by the MSBA and are expected to be confirmed and approved at the MSBA Board of Directors meeting on April 30, 2025.A new local meals tax in Leominster will help to pay the district’s share of the Fall Brook Elementary School project. The city will use a combination of retired debt service, revenue from the new meals tax, and short-term and long-term borrowing to fund the project.

Based on community input, there are significant needs such as; a bigger gym, natural light, new windows, a healthy environment, new ventilation, increased security, auditorium & music/band room, space for art/music, staff space, special education classrooms a computer lab, space for testing & instruction, larger library, outside seating areas/play areas & nature classrooms.

Based on community & school input, there are significant concerns with the existing building such as; security, maintenance and not having enough space for future students. Other concerns with a future construction project are; impact on students if there is a renovation, the timeframe of possible renovations and will the new space be big enough for future growth and possible additional student population.

The new building would be built on the same site as the existing school and students will continue to attend school during construction.  Access to Samoset Middle School will remain open during construction.

The overall timeline is approximately 7 years, comprised of 2 years of planning, 2 years of design, and 3 years of construction, with the anticipated project completion in SUmmer 2029.

There is currently only one option for the building site which is the existing one. A new building would be built on the same site and kids would still be able to attend school during construction. Part of the design for a new school will address proper classroom sizes, traffic for drop-off and pick-up, accomodating future growth and listening to what the community needs.

The current Fall Brook Elementary school is proud, friendly, vibrant, caring, fun, active, diverse and welcoming with a small town feel. Some of the more negative comments on the current school are outdated, strict and lack resources. 

The Fall Brook School Building Committee (FBBC) is committed to an inclusive, transparent process. Meetings are typically held on the second Tuesday of each month and are open to the public. All meetings are publicly posted on the City of Leominster website at least 48 hours in advance.Additionally, the project team hosted 3 visioning session in 2024 and 3 public meetings in 2024 and 2025.

The project website is the primary source of information to stay informed about the project.The website houses information such as relevant news articles, meeting agendas, minutes and presentations from all public meetings. The project website is updated regularly as new information is available.

DSP – Designer Selection Panel

PDP – Preliminary Design Program

PSR – Preferred Schematic Report

FS – Feasibility Study

SD – Schematic Design

DD – Design Development

For more information on the above phases of the work, please visit the MSBA’s website at https://www.massschoolbuildings.org/ and click on the “Building With Us” menu in the lefthand column.

The building will fully comply with 521 CMR Architectural Access Board (AAB) rules and 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards for accessible Design. Ramps will be used on the interior of the school to provide access to elevated areas, such as the stage in the cafetorium, and the project includes an elevator for use by mobility impaired staff and students to access the second floor.

Fall Brook waterway will be protected from on-site pollution both during and after construction.

Later in 2025, the project will appear before the Leominster Conservation Commission (ConCom). The ConCom will issue an Order of Conditions which will define the required protections within the wetland protection areas.

A Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP) will be developed, incorporated into the construction documents, and executed by the general contractor. Erosion and sedimentation controls will be specified by the design team and provided by the general contractor.

Stormwater management is an integral part of the project design. The completed project will include a system of surface water management features, a raingarden, catch basins and area drains, underground storm piping, filtration, infiltration chambers, and a storm water detention basin.