WOBURN - A Goodyear School Building subcommittee will interview four applicants vying to become the project manager for the possible construction of a new school facility.

During a recent School Committee meeting, Supt. Dr. Carl Batchelder explained that only four companies had responded to a request-for-services [RFP] advertisement for the project manager post.

The Mass. School Building Authority (MSBA) requires that a project manager be hired for new school construction projects before an architect is brought on board to explore school rebuilding or renovation possibilities.

The MSBA has selected the Goodyear as one of 83 school facilities across the state that may receive state reimbursements for new construction projects.

Although that designation doesn't guarantee that the city will receive funding for a new school, city and state officials, in conjunction with the project manager, will explore a variety of options for either replacing or upgrading the antiquated educational facility.

"We made a decision that all four companies that applied will get interviews. They [the MSBA] don't allow you to hire, even after we've made a selection," said Batchelder, explaining that the state agency must first review the paperwork and endorse Woburn's selection for a project manager.

The city is hoping to select a project in manager in time for the MSBA's next meeting on Dec. 8, when Woburn's choice could possibly be approved by the state officials.

According to Batchelder, under the new school building assistance program, the city would next hire an architect, who would examine where a new school would be built, how large that building should be, and whether any other viable repair or renovation options exist.

However, the state will likely deviate from that process due to the city's desire to build a new facility on Leland Park that's capable of housing as many as 400 students.

Local officials have argued that the MSBA should first give an approval on the size of a new school, so that the city can determine whether it can consolidate other school populations into the building.

School Committee member Michael Mulrenan questioned whether the four applications received by the city represented an adequate pool of candidates.

According to Batchelder, although the city had initially given 20 separate companies copies of the RFS applications, he wasn't sure whether the four who submitted the paperwork represented a large or small number.

"This is not an expense to us. It is part of the reimbursable expenses," said Batchelder of the project manager hiring. "I think there's a strong commitment on the part of the state to see this through."

As the city goes through the MSBA process, Mayor Thomas McLaughlin is also seeking permission from the Recreation Commission to construct a new Goodyear along a portion of Leland Park.

Under the proposal, the city would utilize 3.5 acres of the Leland site in return for designating the existing Goodyear site as parkland.

The Recreation Commission has indicated that it will likely vote on the mayor's proposal next month.