With the 75-year-old Johnson Elementary School slated to close at the end of the school year, Natick town officials are beginning the process of planning for the facility’s future.
The School Committee in December—not without some reservations—formally voted to hand the building over the the Select Board for care, custody, and control, since it will no longer be used for its current purpose of teaching elementary school kids.
The Select Board this week heard a brief update from Town Administrator Jamie Errickson on next steps for the building at 99 South Main St. The most immediate one will be for the Select Board to sponsor a Spring Annual Town Meeting article related to this transition.
The building will become part of a larger conversation among town officials regarding space management, Errickson said, that will also include facilities such as the Cole Center. This also ties in with a human services study underway by the town to help determine space and resource needs for town departments.
In the short-term, the town will examine the condition of the school to address anything that needs to be done from a security standpoint once school ends.
A community forum this spring for the neighborhood is in the works, Errickson said. The purpose will be “just to listen, to ensure they’re aware we want this to be a public process,” he said, noting that the school is part of the “fabric” of that neighborhood.
If there is a change of use for the building, that will bring with it expenses to comply with current codes.
More: Natick seals deal for affordable housing development at former school building at 5 Auburn St.
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RE Harold H. Johnson School
I attended Johnson School 75 years ago (the last original standing school of the 4 Natick schools I attended). Is there any plans for it to be opened to the public prior to the old school transitioning to its future purpose?
Good question. There is an effort to collect memories about the school underway, will check on your question (or maybe a reader seeing this will know). Thanks for sharing, Bob
WE must have been the same class
My kids went to Johnson and we just today received this via email:
You’re Invited
Johnson School turns 75 years old this spring
and students want to celebrate its legacy, by
sharing the stories of those who have taught and
learned within these walls, with the community.
If you are interested in sharing your stories, photos
and/or other media please contact project
coordinator: Charleen Belcher via email:
cbelcher@natickps.org
BY JANUARY 12, 2024
Johnson Elementary
School Legacy Project
If you are interested in sharing your stories, photos
and/or other media please contact project
coordinator: Charleen Belcher via email:
cbelcher@natickps.org
BY JANUARY 12, 2024
Thanks for sharing David
Hi Everyone,
I’m Charleen Belcher, Librarian at the Johnson Elementary School. The deadline has been extended to January 31st. The current students will be working on a Johnson legacy project. We are looking for stories, memories, photos and people who would like to be interviewed. If you email me at cbelcher@natickps.org, I will be collecting all the information. We are launching the project to the students on Tuesday, so we are still working on the final project. Our hope is to have a community celebration, most likely in June. Please reach out to anyone you know who might be interested in participating in our project.
Turn it into Artist Live in Space! There is such a shortage of space for artists. This would benefit Natick and the artists.
Move the government to Johnson. Sell the city hall to bring business into downtown Natick.