The Holliston School Building Committee held its first meeting in July, soon after electing Barbara Agen Ryan as its Chair. “After being appointed by the Select Board, our first meeting with me as chair took place August 12,” explains Ryan, a veteran with a background in healthcare, including public health and experience managing large health care construction projects. “The voting and non-voting members bring different expertise and responsibilities, but we are one committee serving Holliston. People should understand what we are doing, why we are doing it, and where we are in the process. Trust is built through openness, consistency, listening and accessible information.”

Ryan explains one of the biggest tasks is for the committee to meet Massachusetts School Building Association (MSBA) deadlines. At press time, the next deadline was August 31, by which time they needed to complete the Educational Profile Questionnaire as well as provide Open Enrollment projections to the MSBA.

In this MSBA process, the committee is tasked with planning. Ryan said, “We are considering a public investment that could serve Holliston for 50–75 years or longer. Our responsibility is to think beyond today’s needs: how learning may evolve, how the community may change, and how we make a healthy, adaptable and fiscally responsible investment for generations.” Ryan also added, “We have no predetermined outcomes,” and that building transparency and trust in the community is a top priority.

“It’s really on us not only to think about today’s needs but the potential needs in the future,” she says, “How do we think about an adaptable and fiscally responsible (design) while working within the MSBA guidelines? And we certainly answer to the community in all of this work.” she points out, adding that for her, “the biggest takeaway is transparency and public trust. There’s not always going to be big news, and that’s ok. Right now, the work is foundational. We know this process is iterative, and two-way dialogue with the community and all of the stakeholders is very important to the committee.”

The Committee is in a learning and information-gathering phase - understanding MSBA requirements, enrollment projections, educational needs and the questions Holliston needs to be asking. The school building process must consider how to support student learning, the health and well-being of students and staff, and the sustainability of a building. Ryan stated, “Together with our whole community, the desire is to create welcoming spaces that help students thrive and bring the community together. At the end of the day, it is about our students, their education, and the structure that supports their learning. Is this space going to inspire curiosity, creativity, and discernment in a safe, engaging, equitable and flexible working space?”

The School Building Committee’s next meeting is September 9, and its meetings, she says, “are always public, hybrid according to the Massachusetts statute.” The public can voice their input and thoughts to a new email address, [email protected], as well as find information on the town webpage.

Coming up, the School Building Committee must meet another deadline, November 27, in two areas, Enrollment, and Maintenance and Capitol Planning. 

“The committee is working on these key components right now, gathering information to bring it to the committee to vote and meet the deadline,” says Ryan, noting that the committee wants to explain the milestones and why they matter to the community, while at the same time listening to the community to determine its needs and concerns.

“We’re asking for people to participate,” she says, “Please come to meetings. Be part of the process. We want to hear what constituents have to say and (tell them) what we’re working on. We hope, in the spirit of good governance and good communication, that people will bring their thoughts and concerns to the table. We are there to listen and do our best by our students and our community with the best possible intentions and best possible information on what may matter for generations.”