Natick School Committee Votes 5-2 to Back Two-Site Preschool Plan for New Memorial School

NATICK — June 15, 2026 — Natick School Committee approves two-site preschool plan tied to Memorial School rebuilding project. The committee voted 5-2 at its June 15 meeting to recommend Option B as educational program guidance to the district, a configuration that would place four Massachusetts School Building Authority-reimbursed preschool classrooms in a new Memorial School, add two classrooms at an alternate site currently identified as East School, and reclaim five preschool rooms from inside Natick High School. Superintendent Anna Spash called Option B the administration's "analytical preference," noting it satisfies all five stated district priorities while staying within the MSBA reimbursement framework at a 45.11 percent base rate. A competing one-site Option C would have required an estimated $6.8 to $8.1 million in locally funded, unreimbursed construction. Members Catherine Collins and the chair voted no, with Collins arguing the plan does not expand the program's capacity — only about 40 percent of Natick kindergarten-age children can currently access pre-K. The committee also voted 7-0 to approve Superintendent Spash's annual evaluation and 7-0 to adopt an updated districtwide strategic plan, and recognized Natick High School's Unified Track and Field team on its fourth consecutive state championship.