The School Building Committee (SBC) has spent the last two years reviewing several potential building project options, including four renovation only options, seven addition/renovation options, and three new building options. The SBC, School Committee, and Select Board came to the conclusion that one of the addition/renovation options, Option AR4a, is the best option for the town of Millis. AR4a is the only renovation option that fully meets the academic needs outlined in the educational plan, the only option that does not require temporary modulars, the option with the highest estimated reimbursement rate from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), and in the opinion of these committees, the most fiscally responsible solution.

 

On January 22, 2025, the SBC presented its findings to the Select Board and School Committee, and voted to recommend the preferred option, AR4a. On February 5, 2025, the School Committee and Select Board voted to endorse the preferred option.

 

The SBC spent the next 6 months deeply evaluating the size of the proposed project, the building materials to use and the overall scope of the project. The SBC focused on the best value picking durable and modest materials for the building keeping in kid with the adjacent masonry buildings on the Town’s municipal campus. The SBC was able to reduce square footage in the addition and lower cost an additional $2.4M from the February projections. With the decisions that the SBC made on program adjustments they were able increase the eligible programs that the MSBA would reimburse improving on the February projections.

 

The SBC brought forth a total project scope and budget in August that they viewed as the best value investment for the Town of Millis. In August 2025, the SBC, SC & SC each voted to approve the submission of a $125 million middle school addition and high school renovation project to the MSBA for their Board approval. This $125.0M budget includes the previously approved $1.3M funds from the feasibility study. So, the net not to exceed proposed budget of the remainder of the project is $123.7M.

 

The project will go back to the residents for an approval vote at a Fall Town Meeting on November 10th and special election on December 8, 2025.