West Elementary & Shawsheen Preschool Building Project

Prepared and Readied for the Upcoming 2023-2024 school year

We are prepared for the upcoming school year the attached document, includes a map and project updates. 

School bus access will continue unchanged along the Beacon street entrance.  Student vehicle drop-off will enter from Beacon Street, also the same as last year. 

Access for Student Drop-Off and Pick-up

Stay up-to-date on the West El & Shawsheen School Building Project
*Please note that if you are a current West El & Shawsheen family or staff, we will automatically send updates, no need to sign up! 

Previous Time Lapse Videos

Project Overview

As the above videos show, construction of the new West Elementary and Shawsheen Preschool is well underway. After many years of planning, construction of the new schools began in the summer of 2022. At a Special Town Meeting on December 1, 2022, Andover voters approved additional funding for the project which was required due to unprecedented economic conditions occurring throughout the country. (Thank you to Andover voters!) With that approval, we established a Guaranteed Maximum Price with our construction manager, Gilbane Building Company, which capped overall construction costs. In March of 2023, we celebrated the placement of the final steel beam for the new building with a Topping Off Ceremony.  

As of September 2023, construction is approximately 34% complete. This follows a busy summer of construction work, with a particular focus on underground utility work for water, sewer, drainage, and electrical systems while school was out. With the beginning of the 2023/2024 school year – the final school year for the existing West El – construction work continues. Construction fencing safely separates the new school building site from the current school, with playgrounds, parking areas, and site circulation patterns the same as they were during the last school year. The construction goal for the fall of 2023 is to fully enclose the new building before winter sets in, including completion of roof installation, exterior wall weatherproofing, completion of exterior wall masonry and metal siding installation, and window installation. Work on interior wall framing will continue, as will the installations of indoor electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and fire suppression systems. 

When the current school year ends, demolition of the existing West El building will begin, and new roadways, playing fields and parking areas will be installed in its place. We will happily welcome West El students and staff into their new school in August of 2024 for the start of the school year. Shawsheen students and staff will be welcomed to their new school the following August.

For those who would like to learn more about the project, please see the information below. The FAQs and Presentations sections contain lots of useful information. If you still have questions, please contact Joel Blumstein, the Building Committee Chair, at joel.blumstein@andoverma.us.

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WESB Project Timeline May 2022
View All FAQs
By the Numbers  
Enrollment 1,055 students (includes Pre-K)
Building Size 191,028 SF
MSBA Max Reimbursement Rate 45.85%
Effective Reimbursement Rate 22.61%
Total Project Budget $168,066,623
Anticipated MSBA Grant $38,007,178
Anticipated District Share $130,059,445

Module 7

Module 7

Overall Steps in the Process

MSBA Modules

Module 7 Presentations

Module 6 Presentations

Module 5 Presentations

West Elementary School video - May 2021

Yes to West video Opens in new window

Archived  previous presentations (Module 1 - Module 4)

Meetings are live-streamed on Andover TV and may be watched on Comcast 99 and Verizon 43.

To view a previous West El & Shawsheen PreK School Building Committee meeting, click here for video archives. For previous agendas and minutes, click here. 


Committee Members


Joel Blumstein
Chairperson
Andrew Flanagan
Town Manager
Susan McCready
School Committee
Tracey Spruce
School Committee
Dr. Magda Parvey 
Superintendent
Janet Nicosia
Director of Facilities
Keith Taverna
Assistant Superintendent of Finance & Administration
Elizabeth Roos
Member
Jennifer Hunt
Member
Carol Green
Member
Patrick Lawlor
Finance Director
Paul Rollins
Member
Siggy Pfendler
Member
Armata Kirpalani
Member
Rick Almeida
Member
Mark Johnson
Member


Owner’s Project Manager: PMA Consultantsundefined Opens in new window
Architect: SMMA
Construction Manager: Gilbane Building Company
Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA)