Whately School Committee Clears RFI for Center School, Seeks Selectboard Approval

WHATELY -- April 7, 2026, Whately School Committee unanimously votes to bring Center School reuse plan to Selectboard. The committee voted April 7 to present a Request for Information for the long-vacant Center School building to the Selectboard, seeking formal approval to release the document to prospective tenants including commercial kitchen operators, caterers, food trucks, and childcare providers. Members set a tentative June 30 deadline for responses and a mid-June open house, with the committee's administrator delegated authority to finalize the schedule. A second unanimous vote authorized that administrative delegation. The committee also debated, but did not vote on, forming a nonprofit to oversee the building's redevelopment, with one member arguing it would "show structure and initiative" and give the effort "a little bit more seriousness" than the current volunteer committee structure.