The following was submitted by Minuteman along with these attachments:

• Minteuman PowerPoint for the Municipal Leaders Breakfast on 02-06-15
• Minuteman ER Final Draft Non-MSBA report 1.13.15v.5

It’s been years in the planning stages, but officials in the Minuteman Regional School District now have an idea of how much an up-to-date facility may cost.

At a February 6 meeting with more than 30 town administrators and officials, Minuteman’s School Building Committee announced preliminary cost estimates for four alternatives: renovating the school with state financial help, renovating and expanding with state help, building a new school with state help, and building a new school and demolishing the old one with state help. In addition, a subcommittee released a cost analysis for a self-funded model that would be required if the project is rejected by any of the district’s 16 member towns.

The estimated district share ranges from $79.6 million to $105.9 million, depending on the alternative selected. The district share assumes that at least 40% of the project will be covered by the state.

According to Kaestle Boos Associates, Inc., the project architect, building a new school is the least expensive of the four alternatives. It would cost $132.6 million, with the state paying at least $53 million and the district paying $79.6 million. Construction of a new building would take about 30 months to complete.

Renovating the existing school would cost the district $105.9 million and would take 5 years to complete. Renovating and adding onto the existing building would cost the district $105.2 million and take 4 years. Construction would occur while the school is occupied.

“These are sound preliminary numbers,” said Ford Spalding, chair of the School Building Committee which has been working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) on the Feasibility Study for several years. “We want local officials and taxpayers from within the district to have an idea of the type of investment needed to continue to prepare our students for college and careers.”

“Right now, and going forward over the next several months, we are looking for feedback from the public,” Mr. Spalding said. He said more detailed financial numbers will be generated once the district decides on a preferred option.

At the same time it made public the preliminary cost figures, the School Building Committee released a strongly worded 11-page report which reviewed current building conditions and investigated whether the district could make repairs, without state help, over many years. The report, drafted by an 8-member subcommittee chaired by Dana Ham, described Minuteman’s building systems as “failing” and said “deteriorating conditions must be addressed.”

In its report, the subcommittee soundly rejected the practicality of making repairs without participation from the MSBA. It said doing the work piecemeal would take longer, cost more, accomplish less, and cause more disruption to students. Doing the work without state help would also likely have a negative impact on student enrollment and retention and would jeopardize the school’s accreditation from the New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC), the report stated. NEASC placed the school on “warning” status in November 2012 due to the condition of the facility.

According to the report, doing the repairs over a ten-year period would cost either $71.7 million or $141.7 million, depending on whether Minuteman implements the new Educational Program Plan recommemnded last year by Minuteman’s 16-member school committee. The new Plan calls for the creation of two Career Academies and a Shared House, two new career and technical programs, and the phase-out or upgrade of several others, resulting in 16 career majors serving 628 students, primarily from the 16 member towns.

Under either option, the repairs would need to be paid entirely by district taxpayers, the report said.

The report on the non-MSBA repair option also warned that costs were likely to escalate dramatically because the work would be done over such an extended period of time. The subcommittee also expressed concern that the district would be able to bond (borrow money) for this piecemeal approach.

The school and its consultants have been in a Feasibility Study with MSBA for nearly five (5) years.

Minuteman is an award-winning regional vocational technical high school that seeks to give its graduates a competitive edge in the new global economy by providing them with career skills – plus a rigorous grounding in academics.

“We want all of our graduates to understand what they love to do and what they do well,” said Dr. Edward A. Bouquillon, Superintendent-Director. “We want to help each of them discover their abilities and tie that to an occupation resulting in greater economic independence as that young person moves into adulthood.”

At Minuteman, students can currently major in 19 career and technical education programs at the same time they take rigorous academic courses, including Advanced Placement courses. More than 60% of the school’s graduates pursue college or advanced training upon graduation.

During recent months, Minuteman has been featured in several state and national media outlets, including The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and National Public Radio. Minuteman was also featured in a book, Job U: How to Find Wealth and Success by Developing the Skills Companies Actually Need by Nicholas Wyman.

The Minuteman district includes 16 member communities: Acton, Arlington, Belmont, Bolton, Boxborough, Carlisle, Concord, Dover, Lancaster, Lexington, Lincoln, Needham, Stow, Sudbury, Wayland, and Weston.