MMRHS Building Committee Approves Project Budget of $152 Million and Submits Schematic Design
A new Monument Mountain Regional High School is two steps closer to becoming reality.
On June 18th the building committee for a new Monument voted to submit a total project budget of $152 million to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) with a local share of the cost estimated at $89 million. This represents a decrease of $28 million from an original budget of $180 million, and the new local share amount represents a decrease of $37 million, down from an original estimate of $127 million, thanks to an estimated contribution of $61 million from the MSBA and $1.6 million in incentives from MassSave.
The building committee has also approved the schematic design submission to the MSBA, whose board will meet to approve the project scope and budget and to formalize the state reimbursement at their August 27th meeting.
The committee hosted its sixth community forum and high school tour on June 16th, where the design team gave a comprehensive overview of the project and community members asked questions. The next such event is planned for September 16th and in the meantime extensive information about all aspects of the project, from rationale to design to timeline, is available on the project website. https:monumentbuildingproject.org/
Also coming up, a tax impact calculator will be available on the project website in August to help residents estimate how much of an annual tax increase they would incur, and on November 4 residents of the three district towns will vote on the project. If it’s successful the project will then enter the design development phase, with construction to tentatively begin in 2027, and the new building expected to open in the fall of 2029. The new high school will be located outside of the existing school’s footprint, allowing for the high school to remain fully operational during construction. Incoming fifth graders at Du Bois Middle School, the Monument Class of 2033, will be the first class to attend the new campus for all four years of high school.
The current Monument Mountain was built in 1968. It is a deteriorating building whose infrastructure has been “grandfathered in” and which no longer meets education, accessibility or security standards. The proposed project is a three-story replacement of the existing building whose enhancements would include full ADA accessibility, a new Electricity vocational program, environmentally sustainable upgrades and vastly improved security measures.
Contact: peter.dillon@bhrsd.org
