MARLBOROUGH – Signs identifying construction entrances dot the driveways of the Advanced Math and Science Academy charter school (AMSA) on Forest Street, begging the question as to whether or not the new entrance which will circle the campus will be ready for the start of school.
“That’s the plan!” declared Lisa Mobley, who recently was named the new Executive Director of the school, replacing the retired Ellen Linzey.
The current driveways have proved inadequate to handle the lines of vehicles dropping off or picking up students, forcing traffic to back up onto Forest St. and creating a tangle of vehicles and students at the building entrances.
Designed originally as an office park, the school has worked tirelessly to bring a campus environment to the property. With the recent purchase of the three buildings that were leased (165, 199, and 201 Forest), a multimillion-dollar expansion project is getting underway. The new entrance road looping around the entire campus is phase one.
“The site plan has been approved by the city. We had to merge two lots to plan for our new academic building, which was approved by the Planning Board,” said Mobley. “We want to isolate the internal campus, moving the traffic to the outside perimeter, keeping the students safer and making it more of a college-type campus environment.”
Phase two of the project will be the construction of a 17,000 square-foot academic building, adding much needed classrooms and science laboratories featuring state-of-the-art technology.
The school currently has only one science lab and has had to be very creative with scheduling and alternative spaces. Nevertheless, students have continued to be highly successful as AMSA continues to rank as the number two high school in the Commonwealth, according to US News & World Reports.
The overall expansion project is currently estimated at $30 million, using school equity of roughly $4 million, a tax-exempt bond of $24 million, and philanthropy of $2 million to close the gap.
The “Imagine” capital campaign is reaching out to families and local businesses who might want to get involved, even offering naming rights at various levels to those who would want to leave a legacy.
What many don’t realize is that even though officially a public school, public charter schools are responsible for their own facility improvements, employee benefits, and operating costs. Charter schools may not participate in the MSBA (Massachusetts School Building Authority) grant funding for school construction, so they must rely on private financing and fundraising efforts.
“We are hoping that our parents will be willing to pledge a monthly amount over the next year or two, giving us a steady stream of donations,” continued Mobley.
AMSA opened its doors in 2005 and serves a school population of grades 6-12.
The four core communities that send their students to AMSA are Clinton, Hudson, Marlborough and Maynard, but others may also submit their applications through the lottery process as space is available. AMSA does not charge tuition.
With graduates from the earlier years already through college, Mobley thinks that the proof of success is evident.
“We are on the cusp of really showing how well these kids do…they’re coming back to work in our communities as local engineers, scientists, teachers, etc. That’s what we want to stress to our potential partners as we ask for their help,” Mobley said.
The AMSA Board of Trustees will vote at their September 11th meeting on whether to move forward on the rest of the project at this time.
