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.