West Bridgewater School Committee Advances $169.6 Million School Project Ahead of Town Vote

WEST BRIDGEWATER — January 13, 2026 — West Bridgewater School Committee votes unanimously to continue school choice program and accept amended scheduling contract language ahead of Saturday's critical building project vote. Superintendent Mark Bodwell presented a detailed update on the $169.6 million MSBA-backed elementary school consolidation project, which would replace the Rose L. McDonald School and house all K-6 students on one campus; the MSBA would contribute approximately $72.1 million, with the local share of roughly $97.5 million financed through a 30-year debt-exclusion bond estimated to cost approximately $310 per $100,000 of assessed home value in its first year. The committee also voted unanimously to accept amended teachers' contract language at the middle-senior high school paving the way for a union vote on a proposed eight-course drop-three rotation schedule with 64-minute class periods, up from the current four daily blocks of 80 minutes. On school choice, the committee unanimously agreed to continue the program for 2026-27, with members citing the program's approximately $1.2 million annual contribution to the district budget and the structural need to fill secondary seats vacated by graduates and students transferring to vocational programs. The special town meeting where voters will consider the building project is scheduled for Saturday, January 17 at 10 a.m. at the Middle Senior High School; a two-thirds majority is required to authorize the project.