The Hardy, Hunnewell, and Upham Master Plan Committee, launched in April, has been charged with evaluating the needs for three of Wellesley’s seven elementary schools and is developing a recommendation for their renovation or new construction. All scenarios include a school at the Hunnewell site.
According to its timeline, the committee is now heading into a heavy public outreach period, which includes meetings most Thursdays in Town Hall from 7-9:30pm (a Citizen Speak period is usually included on the agenda toward the back end of the meeting, and people can also share thoughts with the committee via email at hhu@wellesleyma.gov.
The committee plans to have a recommendation ready for the Wellesley School Committee by the end of the year in order to enable a Town Meeting vote next year.
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A group pushing to keep all the schools has set up a website to rally the troops.
Hi, just a quick correction. The citizen speak for the past MPC HHU Meetings on Thursday nights has been on the backend between 9pm-9:30pm. They usually put it on the agenda. Thanks
Thanks Lisa, we’ve updated the post to reflect that. TSR
This is great! Please get involved and tell the MPC we want them to focus on a plan that rebuilds all three schools to NO LARGER than 3-classes per grade (18 classes per school). This allows for some growth, yet keeps our elementary schools small enough for the little kids.
Closing a school will increase traffic in town and lower property values. Construction is constant. Other towns’ enrollments are bursting through the seems. Let’s not be shortsighted. It can be even more costly down the road. Just ask Belmont, Watertown and Lexington, to name a few.
I’m thrilled that Hunnewell is now safe! But now we must make sure it doesn’t grow too large, bringing more traffic to that area and becoming an eyesore to neighbors. 3-classes per grade AT MOST!
I’m curious why the MPC was so easily able to save Hunnewell for reasons of traffic (i.e. it’s the only school in the south-west corner of town and closing it would put more cars on the road), without applying that logic directly to Upham and Hardy too.
Time should be spent on this 3-school plan in order to find a way to make it as fiscally responsible as possible. Please speak up about this issue. Everyone’s taxes will go up no matter which plan is picked. Let’s make sure it’s one that benefits all neighborhoods in town!