NEXT STEPS IN THE  GALVIN MIDDLE SCHOOL PROJECT

Throughout the process of building a new Galvin Middle School for Canton, the project team has made communication with the community a priority. The school District and the School Building Committee have held more than 140 meetings to keep residents informed as well as providing opportunities for stakeholders to provide input on the project. With the project green-lighted, the public engagement process continues. 

School Superintendent Derek Folan meets weekly with GMS Principal Jonathan Mulhern and the project team to plan and review questions and finalize details. Folan keeps the Canton School Committee regularly apprised of the status of the project, while also meeting regularly with the School Building Committee and abutters to the construction site.

GMS families receive regular updates on the project and students are kept in the loop as well. Recently, middle school students interested in construction and engineering were invited to attend an after school extra-credit lesson on geothermal wells, led by Kristy Lyons and her team from Consigli Construction, and Justin Thibeault and his team from Ai3 Architects. Geothermal wells use the heat trapped below ground to create a less expensive and more environmentally friendly heating and cooling system. Thibeault also shared with students the potential career opportunities that exist in building design.

“This special class was such a fantastic opportunity for our students,” said Mulhern. “It allowed them to make a connection between things they are learning in class and how different areas of STEM learning are incorporated into a massive undertaking like building a new school.”

This summer, the construction team will get to work on the “enabling phase” of the project. It’s important to note that the current GMS will remain open during the construction process and everything possible is being done to mitigate any disruptions to learning. To enable that, crews will construct auxiliary parking lots and temporary roads around the current GMS to accommodate construction vehicles without adversely impacting regular school traffic.

Because Canton was accepted into the Mass. School Building Authority’s construction program, the MSBA will track the project throughout the construction process to ensure that it meets the timelines and expectations specified in the building plan. Construction of the new building will begin in the spring of 2026. The new GMS is expected to open to students at the start of the 2028-2029 school year.

The new Galvin Middle School will include fifth-grade students, helping to ease overcrowding in the town’s three elementary schools. Grades 5 and 6 will be housed in one wing of the school, with Grades 7 and 8 in a separate wing. Areas will be designed with flexible learning spaces to facilitate collaborative learning and empower students to thrive academically, emotionally and socially.

You can stay informed about the project timeline by watching this website. We will also be filming new episodes of the “New School Review” – a TV show produced at Canton High School – which highlights important project milestones and upcoming events.  The “New School Review” can be seen on Canton Community Television. New episodes will also be posted on this website here when they become available along with a periodic newsletter geared specifically towards this project.

“We have been energized by how involved and supportive the Canton community has been about the new GMS,” said Superintendent Derek Folan. “Our goal is to keep residents informed throughout the process.  We eagerly look forward to the day the doors to the new, state-of-the-art GMS open to our students.”

Project Timeline and Status

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