Natick School Committee Closes School Choice, Debates Preschool Consolidation Plan

NATICK -- May 4, 2026, Natick School Committee closes school choice for 2026-27 and deliberates on an $8 million preschool consolidation option tied to the Memorial School replacement project. The committee voted 6-0 to close school choice, with CFO Mark Gillis noting the state's $5,000 per-pupil reimbursement has held flat since 2001 against a per-pupil education cost of $18,000 to $30,000 statewide. Superintendent Dr. Anna Spash presented four options for distributing the district's 10 preschool classrooms, currently split across Natick High School, Benham, and East School swing space, in relation to the new 570-student Memorial building; the full one-site consolidation option would add roughly six classrooms beyond the MSBA allocation at an estimated $8 million. NHS currently houses 1,632 students in a building designed for 1,325, and a modular classroom solution there would cost an estimated $1.6 million to $2 million for just two classrooms with a 15-year lifespan. The committee must give staff direction on a single program configuration by its last June meeting to meet MSBA deadlines for a fall 2026 educational program submission.