West Bridgewater School Panel Eyes Pause to Recertify Enrollment, Shrink Building Cost

WEST BRIDGEWATER — March 11, 2025 — West Bridgewater's School Building Committee moved toward requesting a formal pause in its new elementary school project over concerns the certified enrollment driving the building's size may be too high. The committee, which is weighing options priced at $150 million for a pre-K through grade 4 building and $198 million for a pre-K through grade 6 building, learned Tuesday that current K-6 enrollment stands at roughly 780 students — well below the MSBA-certified figure of 1,075 for the larger option, which the town itself pushed for in 2023 based on anticipated residential growth that has not arrived. Superintendent Mark Davids noted that kindergarten enrollment is 78 and growth from anticipated developments has not materialized: "We haven't seen the move-ins that we anticipated." A non-binding meeting with MSBA is set for March 17; if the authority agrees to recertify a lower number, the project would pause for four to six months, with a formal committee vote expected March 25. The MSBA told the committee informally it had never before seen a district return during this phase to argue its enrollment figure was set too high.