Town of Leicester to Assess Middle School and Existing Public School Buildings

Finegold Alexander Architects proudly announces they have been selected by the Town of Leicester, Mass. and the Massachusetts School Building Authority as the Architects for the Feasibility and Schematic Design phases of the Leister Middle School project.

“We are thrilled to be working with Finegold Alexander to help build the new Middle School,” said Marilyn Tenzca, superintendent, Leicester Public Schools. “They understand our community and we are excited about the process which will help us educate students for the future.”

Leicester Middle School was originally constructed in 1961 as the Leicester High School. The building is a single-story structure of approximately 74,000 square feet. The location of the existing building is part of a 43-acre campus that is shared with the Leicester Primary School and the Leicester High School.

The building was converted to the Leicester Middle School in 1994, upon the opening of the new high school. The town is seeking to address the educational program limitations and the facility deficits of the current middle school, but also to evaluate the project in context of the overall School District needs and vision.

The Feasibility Study kicked-off with an existing building and site conditions assessment in parallel with a series of Educational Visioning Workshops with the district, including representatives from the school administration, faculty, staff, parents and students. “The visioning session helped to identify and understand the aspirations of the school and the community. It also uncovers key community issues and concerns related to the project,” said Regan Shields Ives, principal, Finegold Alexander Architects.

“The feasibility study will evaluate options for renovations, expansion, or creation of a new building as well as potential grade configurations ranging from a 6-8, 5-8 or pK-8 school.

“At the conclusion of the Feasibility Study, a preferred schematic design option will be presented to the MSBA for a vote to move forward into the Schematic Design phase.

More information is availalble at www.faainc.com.

Featured

  • Agricultural Sciences Complex

    Agricultural Sciences Complex

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The College of Western Idaho's Agricultural Sciences Complex has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • school building with glowing circuit board patterns

    AI Is Coming to Schools — But Most School Buildings Still Run on Institutional Memory

    As school districts race to introduce AI into classrooms, administration, and curriculum planning, another conversation is happening behind the scenes: How prepared are school facilities themselves for the operational demands AI will create?

  • R.I. District Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for New Elementary School

    Cranston Public Schools in Cranston, R.I., recently announced the completion of Gladstone Elementary School, according to a news release. The 100,000-square-foot facility serves as a replacement for the 1950s-era former building, and it consolidates the student, faculty, and staff populations of Gladstone and Arlington Elementary Schools.