The Elementary School Building Committee (ESBC), tasked with finding a solution to the constraints of the Elmwood School building, met Oct. 27 to receive progress updates on the partnership between the district and the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

According to a press release from the committee, Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh presented the 10-year enrollment projections for the district as calculated by the MSBA. She noted that the projections showed significant student population growth, consistent with the district’s own projections.

“The enrollment projections are a key step in this process because they guide the size of the building that the MSBA will support,” ESBC Chair Jon Graziano commented. “It’s a very positive sign that their projections are consistent with our own. We know that our student population is continuing to grow, and we need a solution that will accommodate that.”

The MSBA Board of Directors will meet Dec. 14. If the Elmwood project is considered to move to the next phase of the process — feasibility — studies will commence in January to review all of the district’s current facilities and the anticipated needs due to population growth, as well as a specific study looking at options for replacing or renovating Elmwood. Both studies were approved for funding at the May 2021 Town Meeting.

The ESBC is scheduled to meet again on Jan. 5 at the School Administration Building.