District Facilities, Capacity and Utilization Study
This page contains information about the independent capacity and utilization study of Manchester School District facilities. Below, you’ll find a note from Superintendent Dr. John Goldhardt, background on the study, information on how you can provide feedback and related links.
A note from Dr. Goldhardt: “Studies such as this provide a framework for a process, and that process takes time. This is just a step in that process. Manchester School District did not get into these facilities issues overnight, and it will take more than overnight to address them all. It is definitely a hard and painful process. However, when done correctly, it can provide us with more resources to provide our students with excellence and equitable learning, and our teachers and leaders with the resources they need to provide excellence and equity. We need to be patient and work through the process.”
Click here to read the draft report
Background: In 2020, Manchester School District hired a consultant to complete an independent audit of school district facilities. In addition to assessing the condition of buildings, the intent was to get an independent assessment of the capacity and utilization of those buildings.
The consultant, MGT Consulting Group, completed inspections of all school facilities and gathered feedback from families, staff and students through an online survey. The team from MGT also conducted interviews with district leadership and members of the Board of School Committee.
Based on the above, the consultant presented a draft report to the BOSC’s Finance and Facilities Committee at a special meeting on Dec. 16. The consultant then incorporated feedback from members of the BOSC into a revised draft.
What comes next: The Board of School Committee has scheduled a special meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m. to review the revised draft report. Representatives from the consultant group will be present, as will the consultant who completed a prior report on school district facilities. Community engagement sessions set for this week have been postponed and will be rescheduled after the BOSC meeting on Wednesday.
Opportunities for community feedback: We will provide an update once the community engagement sessions have been rescheduled. These sessions are open to all members of the community.
In addition, you can send feedback on the report via email to MSDstudy@mansd.org.
Related links:
Agenda for Jan. 7 meeting of Board of School Committee (pdf)
2018 facilities study (pdf file)
Cover letter and study comparison from Matuszewski Architects (Cover Letter) (Audit)