Westford Narrows Elementary School Overhaul To Seven Options
WESTFORD — Westford's feasibility study into aging elementary school buildings has narrowed 18 preliminary designs down to seven options, five of which would close the Colonel John Robinson School, with a single preferred plan expected by December and a townwide vote set for fall 2027.
SCHOOLS Westford Public Schools' feasibility study into aging buildings at Robinson, Abbot and Day elementary schools has narrowed to seven options, the district said. Two of the seven would keep Robinson open, either renovated or newly built on its current site. The other five would close Robinson and move to K-5 elementary schools districtwide, consolidating students at an expanded Abbot campus, which in one scenario would also require closing Day, or at a new school built near Stony Brook Middle School.
No option has been recommended yet. The district expects to settle on a single preferred option by December, followed by detailed design work in 2027, a townwide vote that fall, and, if approved, a completed building project in 2031. Residents can review a recording of the Sept. 9 forum, submit questions through an anonymous ThoughtExchange survey, or attend two more forums, Oct. 14 and Nov. 17, both at 6:30 p.m. at Stony Brook Middle School and on Zoom.
COMMUNITY & ARTS The Friends of the J.V. Fletcher Library held its public book sale Saturday, Sept. 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at First Parish Church United, 48 Main Street, following Friday evening's members' preview sale. The sale wraps up Sunday, Sept. 20, with a $10 bag day. The library, which is running its programming out of a temporary Groton Road location during its renovation and expansion project, is also opening its fall lineup of storytimes, book clubs and a virtual author talk this week.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS "2026 MA Elections: Question 9 Would Codify Stronger State Gun Laws": groups on both sides of the gun-law debate rallied this past weekend ahead of the Nov. 3 statewide vote, according to Patch staff writer Scott Souza's report in Patch's Massachusetts edition (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/westford).
"🌱 Patch AM: Pay It Forward Card Show and 10 more events": Westford Patch's morning roundup flagged the Pay It Forward Card Show among 10 other items on the local events calendar, per Westford Patch (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/westford).
"Wachusett Regional vs Westford Academy | Soccer | 09/19/2026": Westford Academy's soccer team faced Wachusett Regional in a non-conference match Sept. 19, according to MaxPreps, whose preview did not include a final score (read it at https://www.maxpreps.com/ma/soccer/match/wachusett-regional-holden-vs-westford-academy/9-19-2026/?c=b53ad83f-e0f3-4510-aa32-c5d2c907f8ff).
COMING UP Town boards meet nearly every day this week: the Finance Committee and Housing Authority on Monday, Sept. 21; the Board of Assessors, School Committee and Select Board on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 55 Main Street and 23 Depot Street; and the Robinson School Advisory Council, Historical Commission, Conservation Commission and Board of Water Commissioners on Wednesday, Sept. 23. The Clean Energy and Sustainability Committee meets Thursday, Sept. 24, the same day the town has flagged for a temporary closure of town buildings. At the library, a virtual author talk with Heather Wolf on fall bird migration is set for Monday, Sept. 21, at 7 p.m.; a Winnie the Pooh storytime follows Tuesday, Sept. 22, at the Winnie the Pooh House on Main Street; the Young Adult Advisory Board meets Wednesday, Sept. 23; and a Dungeons & Dragons session runs Thursday, Sept. 24, both at the temporary Groton Road location.
Compiled from official town feeds, community organizations, and local press. Outside reporting is attributed inline.