The following districts presented on the progress of their proposed projects at the January 14, 2026 Massachusetts School Building Authority (the “MSBA”) Facilities Assessment Subcommittee (the “FAS”) Meeting:
District: Blackstone-Millville Regional School District
School: Blackstone-Millville Regional High School
Phase: Feasibility Study
Owner’s Project Manager: Colliers Project Leaders NE, LLC
Designer: Drummey Rosane Anderson, Inc.
The Blackstone-Millville Regional School District (the “District”), the Owner’s Project Manager, and design team presented an overview of the options studied during the Feasibility Study and the District’s preferred solution to proceed into Schematic Design to replace the existing Blackstone-Millville Regional High School on the existing site. The FAS, MSBA staff, and the District discussed the following: appreciation of the District's Educational Program as well as its success in regionalization and the expanded opportunities it provides for students; importance of continuity in the District’s educational vision as the project progresses; distribution and adjacencies of subject matter classrooms as it relates to the curriculum and support of cross-disciplinary learning; suggestion to create exploratory learning opportunities for second semester seniors; opportunities for students to travel and suggestion of reaching out to local businesses for potential support for scholarships; staffing and licensure considerations related to the Media Center; appreciation for professional development and review of teaching licensures; opportunity for additional flexibility of the proposed music room to support performance and black box theater-type functions; consideration of outdoor learning spaces, including accessibility for special needs students and travel time from academic spaces; use, orientation, and maintenance of the proposed outdoor amphitheater; location and size of the gymnasium, including visual impact from the road and opportunities to introduce fenestration, daylighting, and signage; envisioned character, visibility and clarity of the building entrances, including differentiation between main and secondary entrances and architectural strategies used to signal building entrances; approach to incorporating seventh grade within the 7-12 high school, including a dedicated academic area for seventh grade, integration with the broader program, and mentorship across grade levels; opportunities for future expansion of the building in relation to the seventh grade; recommendation to include grade configurations in the description of options within the Preliminary Design Pricing Table for clarity; and, DESE review of Special Education spaces in the Schematic Design phase.
District: City of Chicopee
School: Anna E. Barry Elementary School
Phase: Feasibility Study
Owner’s Project Manager: Colliers Project Leaders NE, LLC
Designer: Caolo & Bieniek Associates, Inc.
The City of Chicopee (the “District”), the Owner’s Project Manager, and design team presented an overview of the options studied during the Feasibility Study and the District’s preferred solution to proceed into Schematic Design replace the existing Anna E. Barry Elementary School with a new facility on the site of the Szetela Early Childhood Center The FAS, MSBA staff, and the District discussed the following: community outreach and support as well as funding strategies for the proposed project; appreciation of the Educational Program and clarification regarding grade level instruction; scheduling considerations as it relates to Science and Social Studies to allow sufficient time for student activities and exploration; ongoing review of class schedules across the District; the relationship between the existing Szetela Early Education Center and the proposed building; interior circulation, visual connections and opportunities for further development around the gymnasium; opportunities for outdoor learning and further development of the courtyard area; program and class size goals; discussion of MSBA space guidelines; and, DESE review of Special Education spaces in the Schematic Design phase.
