Link to most recent Shaker Lane Building Committee meeting recording: https://youtu.be/feH7JVxlYOs?si=VoTFdb0uY3ovv6zX

Link to the recording of the Shaker Lane Community Forum: https://youtu.be/83do2JX_01g?si=G29VPSMFeHGiwkJ-

November 3rd, 2025

Our Littleton Community, with its unwavering support, has played a pivotal role in this significant milestone. With the successful STM and Ballot vote, our community has approved the debt exclusion to build a new Shaker Lane Elementary School.

This is an important step toward providing a safe and modern learning environment for our youngest learners. We are grateful for the trust placed in our schools and for the thoughtful engagement that brought us to this moment.

We will now move forward with our partners to deliver a school that reflects Littleton's values and supports our students for generations to come. Thank you to our residents, Town Leaders, Select Board, Finance Committee, School Committee, the Shaker Lane Building Committee and its subcommittees, and Yes for Littleton for their commitment to this project and to the children of our community.

We are providing the answers to some of the frequently asked questions about the Shaker Lane School Building Project in the weeks leading up to the vote.

QUESTION: When is the vote for the project?

ANSWER: Voters will decide on a warrant article to approve building a new Shaker Lane School at the Special Town Meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 28.

The Special Town Meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Littleton Middle School in the Charles Forbes Kaye Gymnasium.

Then, a debt exclusion vote will appear on the ballot on Nov. 1.

Were other sites in Littleton considered for the school?

Littleton voters will decide on a warrant article to approve building a new Shaker Lane School at the Special Town Meeting on Oct. 28.

We are providing the answers to some of the frequently asked questions about the Shaker Lane School Building Project in the weeks leading up to the vote.

QUESTION: Were other sites in Littleton considered for the school?

ANSWER: Yes. Sixty-two town-owned properties were considered as potential locations. All but one were eliminated due to issues such as inadequate size, inadequate access to roads or utilities, or the property was already earmarked for another use. Whitcomb Field, located by the Russell Street School / Littleton Middle School, was evaluated in-depth and ultimately determined to be unsuitable for a new construction option.

Why does our community need a new Shaker Lane School?

Littleton voters will decide on a warrant article to approve building a new Shaker Lane School at the Special Town Meeting on Oct. 28.

We are providing the answers to some of the frequently asked questions about the Shaker Lane School Building Project in the weeks leading up to the vote.

QUESTION: Why does our community need a new Shaker Lane School?

ANSWER: Shaker Lane School faces significant challenges that impact safety, accessibility, building systems, and education.

The building lacks fire sprinklers, ADA compliance, and safe traffic circulation. Critical systems like heating, cooling, roofing, and electrical are outdated or at capacity, while water access and bathroom facilities are limited.

Classrooms are poorly insulated, often overheated, and not designed for modern technology or teaching methods. Students and staff lack appropriate spaces for small-group learning, outdoor instruction, and storage, with some services delivered in hallways or converted closets.

These deficiencies make renovation insufficient, reinforcing the need for a new school building.

Following the recent budget approval from the Massachusetts School Building Authority Board of Directors, the Shaker Lane School Building Project moved into the MSBA’s Detailed Design phase.

During this phase, the District and its project team develop the full construction documents needed to move the project forward, while the MSBA monitors progress to ensure it aligns with the Project Funding Agreement.

The MSBA reviews the work against its contract requirements for both the Owner’s Project Manager and Designer, and assigns a Commissioning Consultant to oversee a rigorous quality assurance process.

This ensures that the final building will operate efficiently, meet expectations, and align with the District’s goals.

The community's authorization is the next crucial step. Residents must approve the project and its funding through two upcoming votes:

October 28, 2025 – Special Town Meeting: A warrant article will be presented to approve the building of a new Shaker Lane School. Your vote is crucial in shaping the future of our school.

November 1, 2025 - Debt Exclusion Vote

                                                 Shaker Lane Building Project Update - September 5, 2025

                         Reimagining Shaker Lane School

More exciting news!

The Shaker Lane Building Committee, with the support and involvement of our community, attended an MSBA meeting on August 27, 2025. We're thrilled to announce that the Board of Directors approved moving the Shaker Lane building project into the Design phase. The Board of Directors also voted to approve the project budget for the Shaker Lane Building Project, a significant milestone that we've achieved together. 

Key Budget Numbers

Total Project Budget $99,704,151

Less Feasibility Study -$1,085,000

Net Project Cost $98,079,951

         ---         --- ---

MSBA Grant $38,145,689 The grant is $8.8 million more than initially projected.

Net Project Cost to Town $59,934,262

   ---           --- ---

School Building Stabilization Fund         -$7,155,117

Less Estimated Premium         -$2,054,145

Net Project Bond Amount $50,725,000         20-year bond.

On Tuesday, September 2, 2025, we met with the Select Board, School Committee, and Fincom to provide an update on the approved MSBA project budget. Please find the presentation here. The estimated split tax Impact for year one would be $719.20 ($60/mo). We are pleased that we were able to keep the increase in taxes significantly below the initial estimate for the year-one tax increase.

Cost of Doing Nothing

If the project does not pass at the fall special town meeting, we would have to reapply to be accepted into the MSBA program, which may take 7-10 years to achieve acceptance, and we would have to start the process from the beginning with the submission of a Statement of Interest. In the meantime, the Shaker Lane School is well beyond its expected lifespan and poses a significant risk of requiring substantial repairs, including a potential code upgrade, which would not constitute a renovation and would not alter the current building configuration. The building, as determined by the MSBA project, is undersized by approximately 36,000 square feet. As a result of the inadequate space for the current population of students, we would have to bring in eleven modular classrooms, which would still be under the approved MSBA square footage by approximately 25,000 sq ft. 

If we experienced a significant system failure and the cost of repairs exceeded $2.73 million over five years, we would need to perform a code upgrade, which would likely result in the need to find spaces for 414 students. Any other maintenance costs incurred for the building would contribute to the maximum expenditures allowed to trigger a full code upgrade. Our other three schools are already close to capacity, so we would not be able to absorb our pre-kindergarten to 2nd-grade students into different schools within the district. We would be faced with the task of purchasing a significant number of modular classrooms, and the location would need to be determined. The cost of the portables would exceed 12 million dollars, assuming we could access key areas, such as a cafeteria, in one of our buildings. When considering potential system failures, it is a reality that they will occur at some point, resulting in significant costs. Investing 56 million dollars would not create a school that was designed for 21st-century learning and would not meet the space requirements for our current student population.

Key budget numbers for doing nothing (approximate costs)

Code upgrade $44 million

22 modular classrooms $12 million

    Total potential cost $56 million

Less Bond Premium and School Stabilization Fund.     $51 million (10-year bond)

The estimated tax impact for the first year would be $1494.77 ($125 per month). 

A No Vote For a new Shaker Lane School would result in at least 10 years of maintenance costs for a building that is well beyond its life expectancy, a high probability of code upgrades (not a renovation), which would result in purchasing modular classrooms to house 414 students. Building costs for a new Shaker Lane School would escalate at approximately 5% per year and a 99 million dollar school would become a 161.5 million dollar new school construction project if construction was delayed for 10 years. 

A Yes vote would bring us a brand new, sustainable Shaker Lane School, designed for 21st-century learning. The school would be built on fields behind the current school, offering students opportunities for enhanced connection with nature. It would also provide separate loops for car and bus pick-up and drop-off, as well as collaborative learning communities for each grade level. The school would be designed around energy-efficient systems, which would decrease the school's carbon footprint. The new school would also be designed to create learning spaces tailored to meet the needs of our youngest learners, instilling a sense of hope and optimism for the future of our growing and vibrant community.

A Yes vote for a new Shaker Lane School would be less expensive for taxpayers than a No vote.

One key step in moving forward with the Shaker Lane Building Project is to have the town vote to approve the project. The following dates are significant, and we encourage our community's active participation in this crucial vote. Your vote is not just a choice, but a responsibility towards the future of our school and community.

October 28, 2025, Special Town Meeting- warrant article to approve the building of a new Shaker Lane School. Your vote is crucial in shaping the future of our school.

November 1, 2025, Debt Exclusion Ballot Vote.

We will be holding an in-person Shaker Lane tour on,

Tuesday, October 21, 2025. 6:30 pm tour, 7:15 pm Informational session.

We encourage you to attend and learn more about the design and cost of a new Shaker Lane School. We would also like you to see the current conditions of the school and understand why it is essential to build a new school for our youngest learners.

Stay tuned for more information.

Shaker Lane Building Project Update - June 17, 2025

Reimagining Shaker Lane School

The Shaker Lane Building Committee is completing the schematic design phase of the Shaker Lane Building Project. On June 11th, we conducted a Shaker Lane tour and presentation (insert presentation here), providing an update on the project's schematic design phase, including updated costs. We also held a forum before the May town meeting and updated the Select Board and Finance Committee at a public meeting on June 9th. We continue to work with the town's elected boards and the Shaker Lane Building Committee (SLBC) to find ways to mitigate the tax impact of the new school. I have included an attachment below that compares the cost of the new building to the cost of not moving forward with the project. The estimation of yearly costs to the taxpayer could be more expensive than building a new school, when considering the potential costs of code upgrades as well as the need for portable classrooms to provide the additional space required.  This comparison is based on a 10-year bond for the code upgrades and portable classrooms, and a 20-year bond for the new school. 

We will be holding a community forum on June 24th at the Middle School Cafeteria from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. We encourage you to attend and learn more about the design and cost of the new Shaker Lane School. 

Additional tours and informational sessions at Shaker Lane School will be held on:

August 14, 6:30- 8:00 pm

October 21, 6:30-8:00 pm

Our educational needs for Shaker Lane School have significantly changed since it was built. We are looking forward to a reimagined Shaker Lane School, designed to better align with 21st-century learning and provide the necessary space for our current and future programming needs. This will result in an exciting and vibrant learning community for our youngest learners.

Shaker Lane Building Project Update - May 19, 2025

The Shaker Lane Building Committee (SLBC) continues to work on phase three of the project, which is the project’s design phase. We held an informational meeting before the May 6 Town meeting, which was well attended. Please find the presentation slides here. We continue to be excited about the design phase of the building project, which will provide us with a blueprint of the new school and allow us to develop a more accurate project cost.

Our educational needs for Shaker Lane School have significantly changed since it was built. We are looking forward to a reimagined Shaker Lane School, designed to better align with 21st-century learning and provide the necessary space for our current and future programming needs. This will result in an exciting and vibrant learning community for our youngest learners. Please see the information below

Re-imagining Shaker Lane/ School Educational Program Document 

Shaker Lane Building Committee Update - March 27,  2025

The Shaker Lane Building Committee (SLBC) has been working on phase two of the project (Feasibility Study) and submitted the completed PSR (Preferred Schematic Report) to the MSBA (Massachusetts School Building Authority) in December 2024. As part of the PSR, an FAS (Facilities Assessment Study) was presented to an MSBA subcommittee on January 29, 2025. The MSBA subcommittee was impressed with our education plan for the reimagined Shaker Lane School. They were also impressed with the preliminary design of a new Shaker School presented at the meeting.  The SLBC  met with the MSBA Board on February 26, 2025, and the Board voted to move our project into phase three, which is the project's design phase. We are so excited to begin the design phase of the building project, which will provide us with a blueprint of the new school and allow us to develop a more accurate project cost.

Our educational needs for Shaker Lane School have significantly changed since it was built. We are looking forward to a reimagined Shaker Lane School, designed to better align with 21st-century learning and provide the necessary space for our current and future programming needs. This will result in an exciting and vibrant learning community for our youngest learners.

Re-imagining Shaker Lane/ School Educational Program Document