Essex Elementary Feasibility Study Narrows to Three On-Site Building Options

ESSEX — January 28, 2026 — Essex Elementary School building study narrows to three options, all on existing site. The Essex-Manchester Regional School Building Committee, presenting to the Essex School Committee and community on January 28, announced that seven initial options have been reduced to three — a base repair and code upgrade, an addition-renovation, and full new construction — all sited at the current 1957-vintage Essex Elementary School property, after the Manchester Memorial School site was ruled out. Christina D'Angelo of owner's project manager Doran Whittier and JCJ Architecture's Jim Pasta presented first-draft floor plans, noting the existing 52,900-square-foot building falls roughly 17,000 square feet short of the 70,000 square feet the educational program requires. The committee must select a single preferred option by approximately May 2026 for submission to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, with town meetings in both Essex and Manchester targeted for November 2026 and debt exclusion votes in December 2026. Building committee member Tim McDonald, attending online from Manchester, noted that current state energy code means the eventual new school is projected to be 50 percent more energy efficient than the recently completed Memorial School.