The Newton Public Schools received an important invitation this week that would help the city take a step toward rebuilding its oldest elementary school. 

In a press release issued Thursday morning, the mayor's office announced that the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has invited Newton to participate in a grant program to address the aging Angier School. 

At 90-years old, Angier Elementary is the district's oldest elementary school. Both the School Committee and Mayor Setti Warren have made rebuilding the Waban-based school a priority. 

“I am so pleased that we have been invited to participate in the MSBA grant program. It is critical that Angier Elementary School be rebuilt, as it is in deplorable condition and no longer meets the needs of our community. I look forward to working with the MSBA on this important capital project,” Warren said in the press release.

According to the press release, the MSBA Board of Directors invited Newton to move into the first stage of the grant process, or eligibility period, based on the need and urgency to rebuild the school. 

Now, the city and MSBA will work together to collect more information about the potential project and the MSBA will eventually decide whether to approve Newton for the grant program. 

If Newton joins the program, the city and MSBA will go through a series of eight formalized steps that lead to the construction of a new Angier School, the press release said. 

"The Angier community will be thrilled that the rebuilding of their school is closer to becoming a reality. Building a school that addresses the needs of our student population is critical. We also expect that an Angier School with greater student capacity will help alleviate overcrowding at other schools," Superintendent David Fleishman said in the press release.

During his annual Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) presentation, Warren explained that while rebuilding Angier is a priority, the city would have to look toward alternate revenue sources to construct a new school. 

Since his CIP presentation, Warren has formed an Angier Elementary task force that meets regularly to discuss the process of rebuilding the school and potential funding sources.