The Massachusetts School Building Authority Announces $43.3 Million Approval for a New East Bridgewater Junior/Senior High School
The MSBA will contribute up to $43,317,092 for the new model school
BOSTON, MA – State Treasurer Steven Grossman, Chairman of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (“MSBA”), and Katherine Craven, MSBA Executive Director, today announced that the MSBA Board ratified its approval of the construction of a new East Bridgewater Junior/Senior High School. The next step in the process is for the Town of East Bridgewater and the MSBA to enter into a Project Funding Agreement which will detail the project’s scope and budget and set forth the terms and conditions under which the town will receive its grant from the MSBA.
The total budget for this school -- which is being built through the MSBA’s Model School Program -- is $77 million with the MSBA funding 64.9% of eligible project costs or $43 million. The new school will serve 950 students in grades 7 through 12.
The MSBA’s Model Schools Program effectively adapts and re-uses design elements from successful, recently constructed schools; simplifying the design process, reducing the amount of time projects are in the design phase and lowering design fees. Using elements of a previously designed Model School allows projects to begin construction faster and reduces construction costs for the project. At least a year of design work can be saved by using a Model School. East Bridgewater is using design elements from Whitman-Hanson High School.
“Our Model School Program has saved communities across the Commonwealth valuable time and money. I am pleased that East Bridgewater’s needs are a good fit for this program and that they can take advantage of this potential savings while providing the students of East Bridgewater Junior/Senior High with a modern learning environment that fully supports the District’s educational plan,” said State Treasurer Steven Grossman.
“The Model School approach allows communities, like East Bridgewater, to move forward in a fiscally responsible manner that benefits taxpayers, administrators, teachers and students,” said Katherine Craven, Executive Director of the MSBA.
“This project has been a long time in coming, and it is exciting to have reached the final MSBA Board approval stage. I’m proud to represent East Bridgewater as a State Senator, especially because of the many fine individuals who have been involved with solving issues such as this one in the community. This is a great day for the future of the town,” said State Senator Tom Kennedy.
“There isn’t a school district more deserving of this project than East Bridgewater,” said Representative Geoff Diehl. “To say the current state of the East Bridgewater high school facility is below average would be far too kind. I am thankful to the MSBA for their approval and know that an investment in this high school today is an investment in our community’s future.”
The MSBA strives to find the right-sized, most fiscally responsible and educationally appropriate solutions to create safe and sound learning environments. In its six year history, the MSBA has made more $7.4 billion in reimbursements to cities, towns and regional school districts for school construction projects. These timely payments have saved municipalities over $2.9 billion in avoided local interest costs and have provided much needed cash flow to communities in these difficult economic times.
