West Bridgewater School Panel Votes for K-6 New Construction at Roselle McDonnell Site

WEST BRIDGEWATER — April 8, 2025 — West Bridgewater's School Building Committee voted 16-6 to pursue a kindergarten-through-sixth-grade new construction project at the Roselle McDonnell School site, then approved the two-phase Option 17 Prime C building configuration unanimously at its April 8 meeting. The K-6 grade configuration was chosen in large part because it keeps projected daily septic flow at approximately 9,808 gallons — just below the 10,000-gallon threshold that would require a state variance or a wastewater treatment plant, an obstacle designers described as carrying only a "50-50 shot" of DEP approval. Returning to the previously considered Howard School site was ruled out after the design team calculated it would require a new $6 million wastewater treatment plant, a design cost impact of $300,000 to $350,000, and a three-to-four-month schedule delay. Under Option 17C, construction proceeds in two phases with no modular classrooms, targeting initial occupancy by December 2028 and full project completion in September 2029. The committee authorized submission of its preferred schematic report to the Massachusetts School Building Authority ahead of the May 1, 2025 deadline, with the next meeting planned for May 13.