School Building Project

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Greylock Elementary School North Adams Public Schools Community Access Television Presentation
School Project Agendas and Minutes

Since 2010, there have been multiple applications to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) on behalf of Greylock Elementary School. Over the course of these applications, the Colegrove Park Elementary School (formerly Conte Middle School) project was given precedence over the consideration of construction at the Greylock Elementary School site and formally approved in 2012. The renovation of Colegrove Park Elementary School was completed in 2016 and included the closure of the Sullivan Elementary School.

In 2019, the MSBA accepted the district’s statement of interest for a school building project at Greylock Elementary School. Since then, various stakeholders in the North Adams community have been engaged in working through the various MSBA requirements to move the project forward. These community stakeholders make up North Adams School Building Committee, which is comprised of members of the North Adams School Committee, faculty, parents, community members, and district and school administration.

Photo of new Greylock Elementary School

Colegrove park Elementary

Photo of Colegrove Park Elementary School

What's Happening Now?

We're currently in the Detailed Design phase of the MSBA process.

The North Adams School Building Committee is currently working on detailed design development, construction documentation, and bidding. During this phase, the District and its team move forward with the project, while the MSBA ensures everything stays on track and follows agreed-upon guidelines. The MSBA monitors the project to ensure it stays within budget and meets expectations. The District must also follow procurement laws.

For design and construction, the Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) compares cost estimates from the designer and the construction manager. The MSBA tracks costs throughout the process and must approve any changes to the project team.

When submitting materials to the MSBA, the OPM ensures that everything is complete and approved by the District. The MSBA reviews submissions in phases: Design Development, 60% construction documents, and 90% Construction Documents. The District also confirms that designer evaluations are submitted at key project milestones.

Under Construction

To be announced!

Ground breaking event

Ribbon cutting

What's Happening Next?

We will enter the Construction phase of the MSBA process.

During construction, the District will work with the MSBA to keep the project on schedule, within budget, and aligned with expectations. The District will be responsible for managing the project’s budget, submitting reimbursement requests, and handling change orders and GMP Contingency Expenditures. They will also update the project schedule regularly and hold a Chapter 74 meeting for certain projects.

At key stages, the District will complete contractor evaluations and send notifications to the MSBA. Throughout the process, the District will ensure contractors comply with prevailing wage laws, with support from the Owner’s Project Manager. Several documents, such as evaluation forms and change order logs, are provided to help with these tasks.

September 2025 - Spring 2027

Schools built through the MSBA process are intended to be designed with a focus on the future, and support the education of our community’s students for the next 50 years.

 

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GES

New PreK-2 School at Greylock Elementary Site

North Adams School Building Committee considered various options in the course of developing the preliminary schematic design of feasibility, including: 

  • New construction of Brayton Elementary School

  • Renovation of Brayton Elementary School

  • New construction of Greylock Elementary School

  • Renovation of Greylock Elementary School

After carefully considering this advice, the School Building Committee elected to exit the feasibility phase of the project and return to the eligibility phase to consider reconfiguring the district to establish three grade-span schools.

In October of 2024, the community voted to approve the proposed New PreK-2 School at the Greylock Elementary Site.

The MSBA project will result in a new early elementary school at the Greylock Elementary School site.

 

Students with Science fair project

Kids 4 Harmony

Students with Science fair project

Why is there a need for a new school?

Greylock Elementary School, built in 1954 with an addition in 1965, faced significant structural issues.

This includes eroded concrete, outdated electrical systems, and a boiler with no new replacement parts available. The school also lacked the space and accessibility required by modern standards, necessitating a major renovation to meet current educational needs.

Financials

How is the city funding this project?

To fund the Greylock School Building Project, the community approved a 30-year loan, using a tiered borrowing structure, meaning the impact on household taxes will vary over the course of those 30 years. The maximum impact of this loan on each household’s taxes will be seen in 2029. Every other year of the loan would have less of an impact.

For households meeting the median average home value, the estimated tax increase in 2029, on average, will be $270 for the year. This equates to $0.74 per day or $22.50 per month. Not all households will see the same tax increase: the increase will vary based on each household’s assessed home value. The tax increase will be adjusted based on whether your home value is above or below the median average.

The City will be implementing a debt repayment method that is different from a regular tax increase, called a Debt Exclusion. 

Debt exclusion allows the City to raise extra funds specifically for paying off debt related to a particular project, without affecting the usual tax limits set by Proposition 2½. By using a debt exclusion, the City will determine its usual tax limit and then add the extra debt payments on top of that limit, but only for as long as it takes to pay off the debt.

This repayment method is different from a Proposition 2½ Override. An override is a permanent increase in the amount of taxes the City can collect. An override can raise the tax limit, but only up to a certain amount. The City is not implementing a Proposition 2½ override to fund this project.

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Greylock School Building Project Cost Breakdown

Hard Cost Breakdown

Soft Cost Breakdown

Kids

Students Reading

Enrollment

Berkshire County has been very active in reviewing the impact a declining population and subsequent declining student enrollment have on school districts across the region. As we considered the enrollment for a new elementary school, the MSBA advised the following two actions: 

  • to consider the closure of a school, as the district’s projected enrollment no longer supports the need for three elementary schools, and 

  • to submit a second statement of interest for Brayton Elementary School in addition to Greylock Elementary School. 


    Projected Enrollment Trends:

    Reports indicate a projected decline in enrollment for North Adams Public Schools.

    A comprehensive enrollment projection was developed using data from multiple sources, including DESE, the Department of Public Health, US Census, and UMASS Donahue Institute. The projection, originally presented in February 2021, used data from 2001 to 2020 to forecast enrollment through 2030.


  • Initial Enrollment Forecast in 2021:

    • Grades K-6: 625 students

    • Grades 7-12: 474 students

    • PreK to Grade 6: 716 students (includes 91 “seats outside of the project school” from PreK programs)


  • Revisited Enrollment Forecast in 2023:

    • Grades K-6: 535 students

    • PreK to Grade 6: 626 students (includes 91 “seats outside of the project school” from PreK programs)

      • Greylock Elementary School: 245

      • Colegrove Park Elementary School: 381

  • Factors Affecting Enrollment:

    A population decline is being experienced all over the regional population, not just North Adams.

    Population trends may change due to factors like employment growth, housing, and educational opportunities (e.g., the reopening of North Adams Regional Hospital).


  • Opportunities:

    There is potential for shared services and regionalization with neighboring districts.

    High-functioning, accessible school facilities may attract partnerships and discussions on future regionalization.

Community Engagement and Participation

How can families provide feedback?

To provide feedback about the project, families of NAPS students and all North Adams community members can get involved by attending the open, publicly-accessible School Building Committee meetings, which are held at the Welcome Center at Brayton Elementary School. The postings for each meeting can be found here.

Project Timeline

Community members

FAQS