What about Muraco?

A vision towards 2028-2030, with key investments to get there

In April 2017, the School Committee and Select Board jointly submitted to the MSBA Statements of Interest (SOIs) for the reconstruction/replacement of the Lynch and Muraco schools. The MSBA declined the district’s SOIs in December 2017.  After a second round of applications in the 2018 cycle and an MSBA visit to Muraco, Winchester received an invitation for the Lynch project in 2019-- leaving Muraco to wait a few more years.   See Update, below.

Spring 2024 Update

At its meeting on January 9th-- and after many months of discussion-- the School Committee unanimously voted its intent to submit (jointly, with the Select Board) a new Statement of Interest to the MSBA's Core Replacement Program in the next round, which opens in January of 2025.  

The current WPS 10-year Facilities Master Plan (2016-2017) is in need of an update, including a new 5- and 10-year enrollment/demography study to help the Town better understand enrollment trends post-COVID.  See Superintendent Frank Hackett's memo to the EFPBC (right), requesting the Committee move forward with funding requests of Spring Town Meeting for an updated Master Plan. 

Muraco EFPBC memo.pdf

At its meeting on March 12th, the EFPBC voted unanimously to place an article  (below and memo, right) on the Spring Town Meeting warrant to fund an updated Facilities Master Plan, including 5- and 10-year enrollment projections.  If funded, the work will begin Summer 2024 with substantial completion by December-January, in time to support a joint SOI submission by the School Committee and Select Board.


"To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate funds to prepare an update to the 2016-2017 Winchester Public Schools Ten Year Facilities Master Plan, including enrollment and demographic study, said appropriation shall be raised by a transfer from free cash or any other available funds, or take any other action in relation thereto."

EFPBC_memo_030724_Master Plan.pdf

Muraco Life Extension Plan (2020)

The School Committee and Select Board remain committed to a replacement of the Muraco Elementary School.  With a planned opening of the New Lynch in Fall 2025, the School Committee developed the Muraco Life Extension Plan-- a $3.6M investment today in replacing essential building systems to sustain the school until a replacement sometime between 2028-2030.  This scope of work was included in Spring 2021's ballot question #1, a debt-exclusion override including flood mitigation work which passed with strong community support.  Muraco's heating system repairs were completed by October and design is wrapping up this winter for summer electrical work roof repair/replacement.  For more information on the scope of the Muraco Life Extension Project, see Town Meeting presentation for design scope (right).

 Presentation to Winchester Town Meeting,  Spring 2020            Mike Bettencourt, Select Board & Chris Nixon, School Committee