Essex School Building Committee Approves Work Plan, Eyes December Site Decision

ESSEX — November 25, 2025 — Essex school building committee reviews sustainability plan, prepares for December site decision. The Essex Elementary School Building Committee voted unanimously at its November 25 remote meeting to accept the project work plan required for the Massachusetts School Building Authority's Preliminary Design Program submission. Sustainability consultant Eric from JCJ Architecture presented preliminary LEED scorecards targeting 54 points — in the middle of the Silver certification range — for the Story Street new-construction option, while noting that the Manchester Memorial addition-renovation option faces additional complexity and potential cost in meeting the current all-electric stretch energy code requirement. Committee member Gordon Brewster highlighted that the new building is targeting an Energy Use Intensity of 25 against Manchester Memorial's estimated low-30s figure, representing a potential 20 to 30 percent efficiency improvement. The committee also reviewed updated site-circulation diagrams for all design alternatives; a new-construction option that pushes the building deeper onto the Story Street parcel drew favorable comment for its ability to fully separate parent and bus drop-off traffic. The project team will deliver a completed alternatives evaluation matrix with preliminary cost estimates before the December 15 meeting, the last major step before the committee advances to a preferred site recommendation.