Participate in the Pollard Middle School Project

Pollard Middle School is over 65 years old, and the aging infrastructure is in need of critical upgrades. This initiative is a direct continuation of the Needham School Master Plan, building upon its foundational work to design a new school that will fully meet the educational needs of our 1300+ middle school students.

Needham has a unique opportunity to partner with the state for partial funding of this project. Its success requires the input and support of our entire community, and we want to understand your priorities.

Stay involved! We hope you will attend the upcoming community meetings and sign up for our Pollard Middle School Project email updates below.

CURRENT PHASE

Schematic Design

UPCOMING MEETINGS

School Building Committee (SBC)
Tuesday, April 28, 7:50pm
Hybrid at Town Hall (1471 Highland Ave) in the Highland Room & on Zoom
School Committee
Tuesday, April 28, 6:30pm
Hybrid at Broadmeadow Performance Center & via The Needham Channel

PROJECT UPDATE

Bond Building Construction selected as Construction Manager at Risk (CMR)

After a four-month search process, Bond Building Construction has been selected as Construction Manager at Risk (CMR) for the project. A CMR is hired to manage a project’s construction with the goal of staying on budget and schedule. They provide early cost estimates, help identify potential construction challenges, and suggest design adjustments to save time or money. Bringing a CMR on during schematic design — the current phase — allows the team to incorporate practical construction input early, which helps reduce surprises, optimize materials and systems, and make the overall project more buildable and cost-effective.

The project team is now working to refine and finalize the building design for submission of the Schematic Design (SD) to the MSBA in June. Additional updates, including opportunities for public engagement as the design progresses, will continue to be shared here on the project website.

FAQ SPOTLIGHT

Are residents who live near Pollard being included in the design process, and how are neighborhood concerns being addressed?

We understand that this project will have a major impact on the Pollard neighborhood, both during construction and for decades to come. The input of nearby residents is genuinely valued, and this feedback is actively informing the planning and decision-making on the project.

In addition to the meetings and feedback opportunities that have been provided for the community at large, abutters were invited to a meeting on February 10 to learn more about the current design, share concerns, and ask questions. Neighborhood input has influenced the design as it continues to be adjusted and refined, and the most recent site plan, shared at the 3/23 SBC meeting, includes changes that address some of the concerns raised. For example:

Coulton Park residents shared concerns about the service driveway planned along the east side of the site, which would dramatically impact the woods and buffer area between the school and their properties. In the revised design, that driveway has been eliminated, allowing for the retention of significantly more trees.
On the west side of the site, residents on Glenwood Road and Bradford Street expressed concerns about the bus traffic that would be routed through their neighborhood. The revised plan adds an exit-only driveway along the northwest edge of the property, allowing buses to enter from Dedham Avenue and exit directly to Harris Avenue.
The building design has been altered, with only the sixth grade wing now planned for Phase 2 of construction. This will reduce project costs, lessen the visual impact of the building from Harris Avenue, and potentially decrease the construction duration. This change has allowed for adjustments to the parking areas, car drop-off loop, and field locations.

There will be additional meetings with abutters as the site design continues to evolve, as the Town vote approaches in the fall, and again prior to the start of construction to focus specifically on construction-related impacts.