New Foster Elementary School Nears Completion, Set to Open in January

Hingham DPW Explores Recruitment Strategies Amid Staffing Challenges

HINGHAM, MA - October 29 - Construction of the new Foster Elementary School is over 80% complete, with a substantial completion date set for mid-December. The school, which represents the largest construction project in Hingham's history, is on budget and scheduled to welcome students on Jan. 2.

Ray Estes, vice chair of the School Building Committee, provided an update to the Select Board on Oct. 29. "Overall, I would say we're extremely pleased with the progress of the project," Estes said.

The project's total budget, approved at a town meeting in November 2022, is $113,335,749. Estes reported that the project remains on budget with contingency funds remaining.

The town has received over $20 million in reimbursement from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) so far, with about $4 million more expected.

Interior finish work is being finalized, with many classrooms nearing completion. Furniture and equipment deliveries are expected over the next three to four weeks.

The project timeline has seen some delays. "We originally had a substantial completion date of August, the end of August, essentially. That has been delayed twice now," Estes explained. The new target for substantial completion is mid-December.

Plans are underway to ensure the school can receive staff and students on Jan. 2. The project team is working on assembling a punch list for spaces that are already complete.

Demolition of the existing Foster Elementary School is expected to begin in March or early April 2025. Site work, including parking and final circulation, is anticipated to continue through the summer of 2025.

The School Building Committee is considering using remaining contingency funds for additional features, including a softball field, irrigation, and solar panels on the school's roof.

In other town business, the Hingham Department of Public Works (DPW) is addressing chronic vacancies and staffing shortages, a challenge shared by many South Shore communities.

Michelle Monsegur, Assistant Town Administrator Finance, told the Select Board about the DPW struggles, "It did hurt us to lose positions with this past year. We can't deny that." She added that filling vacancies would help the department complete tasks more efficiently.

Town Administrator Tom Mayo reported that the town has implemented new recruitment strategies, including covering the costs of Commercial Driver's Licenses (CDLs) for new hires. "We've implemented it a couple of months ago, several months ago, I guess. And it's been really working well. We got two new applicants that came in under that rule," Mayo said.

The town now requires applicants to have a CDL learner's permit by their start date, allowing them to drive vehicles with supervision. The town covers the cost for employees to obtain their full CDL within a specified period.

Ashley Sanford, Assistant DPW Superintendent, also mentioned plans to establish in-house CDL training. "One other thing we're also looking at is to get our own certified trainer in DPW," she said. "I'm waiting for a vacancy to open in the school for that where we're hoping myself and one other employee to be certified CDL trainers so that we can do on-site training instead of sending them to a school."

Despite these challenges, Sanford reported that the DPW has received numerous applications for recently reposted positions. "Me and [DPW Superintendent Randy Sylvester] and the guys have all been looking over those resumes and hopefully we'll be able to start doing some interviews and stuff soon to really get some new employees in," she said.

The Select Board expressed commitment to supporting the DPW's efforts to recruit and retain employees. Board member Liz Klein emphasized the importance of ensuring the department has adequate resources to meet town expectations, particularly the paving schedule.