Essex Elementary Feasibility Study Narrows to Seven Options Across Two Sites

ESSEX — December 9, 2025 — Manchester Essex Regional School District narrows its Essex Elementary School feasibility study to seven design options across two sites. Superintendent Pam Bowden and a project team from owner's project manager Doran Whittier and architect JCJ Architecture presented the options at a December 9 community meeting held at the recently completed Manchester Memorial Elementary School. The seven alternatives range from a code-upgrade-only repair of the 1957-era, 53,000-square-foot Essex Elementary building to a full consolidation of all 515 district elementary students onto the Memorial campus. The comparable Memorial School project carried an effective state reimbursement rate of roughly 23 percent — yielding approximately $11.5 million from the MSBA after construction cost caps — a benchmark the team said will vary for each new option. Operational analysis found the consolidation scenario would save an estimated $100,000 in the first year, a figure Bowden said would likely be erased by added transportation costs of roughly $90,000 per bus run and the need to replace tennis courts displaced by new parking. The preferred schematic report, with cost ranges for each option, is due to the MSBA by May 2026, with a special town meeting vote in both Essex and Manchester targeted for fall 2026.