Essex School Panel Approves Invoices, Debates Design
School Committee · Meeting of August 25, 2026
Essex School Committee approves $133,000 in project invoices, debates entry design ahead of fall town meeting votes. Members unanimously accepted a $39,569 invoice from project manager Doran Whittier and a $93,541.80 invoice from architect JCJ, and learned the district's MSBA feasibility study budget is being amended by $300,000, from $1.5 million to $1.8 million. Much of the meeting focused on the school's entry "hub," with members saying public feedback called renderings too "grand"; member Tim McDonald said the entry stair "seems like there's a lost opportunity at the moment," and later proposed slate shingles as a cheaper alternative to terracotta siding.
The committee is weighing curved versus flat roof profiles for the entrance, with construction estimates due September 10 ahead of a dual Essex-Manchester town meeting November 16 and a ballot vote December 7.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,592 words
Source: the School Committee meeting of August 25, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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