LEOMINSTER – The place is set for Leominster's newest school, with Leominster Public Schools anticipating that the new Fall Brook Elementary School will be open for the start of the 2028-29 school year.
The existing Fall Brook Elementary, at 25 Decicco Drive, near Lake Samoset and adjacent to Samoset Middle School, was built in 1966. Over time the school has had some renovations, including a small addition in 2006, but the Leominster Public Schools decided in 2025 that it had outlived its service life.
After the formation of a school building committee and a feasibility and schematic design phase, the district decided to build a new school on property adjacent to the existing building, according to Leominster Mayor and School Committee Chair Dean Mazzarella.
"We underwent a pretty extensive process to drill down into if we needed a renovation, a renovation expansion, or if we needed a new school, and it was determined that it was beyond the useful purpose of its life," Mazzarella said. "We made the decision that putting any more money into that building was just not a good investment for the taxpayer."
Last spring, the Leominster City Council approved a $114.8 million project, with $63 million reimbursed by the state.
"We keep our debt low, we have the lowest debt in the state, so to take on a project like this isn't that big of a deal for us," Mazzarella said.
Leominster, according to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, reported $56.4 million in total outstanding long-term debt, or $1,294 per resident in 2025. By comparison, neighboring Fitchburg has $122.9 million in long-term debt, or $2,963 per resident.
The new school will be approximately 30% larger than the current building, and while enrollment trends in Leominster do not necessarily indicate that the school will be serving more students than the roughly 650 who currently attend, it will provide more space for additional services.
Mazzarella said one of the key problems with the older building was its lack of space for special education services and other individualized programs. The school also had a small gymnasium and library. Both will be larger in the new building.
The new building will also have specialized spaces for certain STEM and art programs.
"For years we found a coat closet, we cut a room into thirds, we took the janitor's office, we did all kinds of things to make do – but what we didn't do is give them the kind of space they need to teach and to learn," Mazzarella said about special education services. "You've got schools across the country set up like that. It is hard enough for students to learn, and then you have all of these spaces that are thrown together. You can't learn that way and you can't teach that way."
Mazzarella saying some work on the site was completed over the summer, and the building project has been put out to bid.
"We had some contractors in to do some site work and drainage work, things that need to get done so we are not interfering with students," Mazzarella said. "The project should start real soon in the next couple of months, and we are hoping to be open by fall 2028."
After the project is completed, the old building will be demolished to allow for parking spaces and improved traffic flow in the area, which can become crowded during drop-off and pickup times.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Construction to begin on new Fall Brook Elementary School in Leominster