Cost
Quick Facts
Total Project Cost: $152 Million
State Contribution: $61 Million (MSBA) + $1.6 Million (Mass Save)
Local Share: $89 Million (fixed within budget)
Vote Date: November 4, 2025
Context & Comparisons
Why is this so expensive?
School construction is expensive due to modern building codes, safety, and accessibility requirements. Costs also reflect specialized spaces like vocational programs. The $152M budget is all-inclusive (design, demolition, contingencies), and the MSBA will contribute nearly $61M, reducing the local share to $89M.
View the full detailed budget here, and detailed cost estimate here.
Repairs vs. New Building
Repairs: $89M$89M total project cost, largely due to code requirements | $89M local share | $0 state aid | No educational/security upgrades, most disruptive option
New: $89M $152M total project cost | $61M state aid + $1.6M incentives | $89M local share | Full educational, safety, and sustainability improvements, least disruptive option
Why was new construction selected as the preferred solution?
As part of the Preferred Schematic Report (PSR) submitted on December 19, 2025, the School Building Committee studied a range of options, including a repair-only “Code Upgrade/Base Repair” approach, addition/renovation, and new construction.
Repair-Only Option (Alternative 1): Estimated at $89 million includes necessary repairs and replacements of the existing school, couple with code compliance upgrades. The MSBA does not reimburse repair-only projects, so the entire cost would have fallen on local taxpayers. To carry out this work in an occupied school, we would need to lease or purchase approximately 12 modular classrooms at approximately $1 million per year. The work would be significantly disruptive and would take many years to complete. In addition, the modular classrooms are not designed to accommodate specialized programs such as automotive, advanced manufacturing, art, and music, meaning students in those programs would face years of compromised educational environments.
Renovation / Addition Option:The cost of the renovation / addition is similar to that of new construction, however there would be significant amount of disruption to the school over many years. This option would not improve site circulation or provide an improved, new practice field when compared to new construction.
New Construction (Alternative 3E): A new 3-story, 140,500 SF school located west of the existing building, designed for 485 students. This option was found to be the cost-efficient, least disruptive, and most effective long-term solution for the district.
After reviewing all alternatives, the School Building Committee voted to advance Alternative 3E into Schematic Design.
Bottom Line: New school delivers state funding + modern facility, while keeping local share the same as repairs.
Cost Comparison, Repair vs. New Building, from June 16, 2025, Community Meeting presentation
Costs to maintain the current building (based on PSR cost estimate), November 25, 2024, Community Meeting presentation