Skip To Main Content

HW Elementary School Project

The School Committee Voted the Preferred Design Option C3.4 on 6/6/24

The project design team has entered the Schematic Design phase of the new school project which will include the detailed budget. This will bring us to the next step: approval by the community for both the plan and the request for funds not covered by the MSBA. These votes will take place in April 2025 at town meetings and at the ballot box. If the project is approved, the proposed ribbon cutting for the new HW Elementary School will be in August 2028.

msba opportunity video link
VIDEO # 1 THE MSBA OPPORTUNITY

The HWRSD has moved into the Schematic Design Phase of the MSBA process for the proposed HW Elementary School Project. Our goal is to educate all stakeholders on the process - check out the video about the MSBA Opportunity. Stay tuned for more videos.

The Ed Plan Video Graphic

VIDEO #2 THE EDUCATIONAL PLAN

To develop an Educational Plan, the school building committee invited community stakeholders into a visioning process to determine what a new elementary school could provide for our students. The Ed Plan provides the guiding principles, goals, and features the team uses to develop the elementary school design. 

Evaluating & Selecting the Preferred Design Option Video

VIDEO #3: EVALUATING AND SELECTING A PREFERRED DESIGN OPTION 

Using the Ed Plan as a guide, the School Building Committee studied 24 sites within Hamilton and Wenham, resulting in the evaluation of 14 design options. These options included new construction, renovation, addition, and consolidation choices. After thoroughly evaluating the 30 different criteria in five overarching evaluation categories, the selected Preferred Design Option scored the highest.

Elementary Project Video #4 Consolidation
VIDEO #4 CONSOLIDATION

The new elementary school design also achieves one of the key priorities of the project: to ensure all of our students have access to the same education while keeping the class sizes the same. The site plan calls for the consolidation of all elementary students in grades 1-5 with a capacity for 740 students. This allows for more capacity than our current enrollment with room for expansion, which “future-proofs” our community’s needs. 

SITE PLAN dated 9/23/24: Schematic Design is an evolutionary process and will change throughout to ensure that the final design aligns with the Educational Plan and project goals.
Site Plan presented at the October 7th SBC Meeting
Elementary School Floor one plan - october 7th
elementary school second floor plan
third floor plan elementary school
Photo of School sites
image of the project board

Cutler School

Cutler School Arial Photo

Cutler Elementary School is a 45,800 sf. masonry building constructed in 1951 with modular classroom additions in 1952 and 1956. In 1992, the Whittier Wing was added which houses kindergarten classrooms and a gymnasium. The school serves approximately 300 students in grades K-5. The majority of the facility and the majority of entrances and egresses are not accessible to
non ambulatory occupants. More information is linked HERE.

Winthrop School

Arial view of Winthrop School

Winthrop Elementary School is a one-story school that was originally constructed in 1958-1959 with a classroom wing addition that was built in 1965-66. The 1965 classroom wing addition has the same exterior building materials and design of the original building, but for what appear to be budgetary reasons, took a different approach to several elements: the interior design of the corridor walls is different (although the same design of cubbies was used), the ventilation system is different, there are no skylights, and it was built with separate boiler room. There was a library/media center addition in the back of the school in 1989. More information is linked HERE.

"We sit on the precipice of some wonderful upgrades and improvements for our school system that ultimately upgrade and update our communities. The success of these projects will need all of us to come together to decide if we are, or are not ready and willing to fund these projects on behalf of our children."
- Eric Tracy, Superintendent

March 27, 2024 Community Forum