State Treasurer Steven Grossman, Chairman of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (“MSBA”), and Jack McCarthy, MSBA Executive Director, took part in a topping out ceremony to celebrate placing of the last steel beam on the new Wilmington High School. The MSBA is contributing a maximum total facilities grant of over $35 million of eligible expenses towards the project.
“We worked hand-in-hand with Wilmington officials to find a design and a solution that best meets the district’s educational needs,” Treasurer Grossman said. “The construction of this new high school will provide more than 900 students with a new, top-notch learning environment.”
The new Wilmington High School will be built based on a design enrollment of 960 students in grades 9 through 12. The MSBA will contribute 55.19% of eligible costs toward the construction of the facility, for a total grant of up to $37,993,245. The current school was built in 1950 and suffers from deficiencies in building envelope and in major systems, including plumbing, HVAC and electrical.
“In Wilmington’s case, the most educationally and fiscally appropriate solution was a new school to replace a facility with extensive deficiencies,” Executive Director McCarthy said. “This is the type of collaboration and innovative thinking that will benefit not only Wilmington’s students, but also its taxpayers.”
The MSBA partners with Massachusetts communities to support the design and construction of educationally-appropriate, flexible, sustainable and cost-effective public school facilities. Since its 2004 inception, the Authority has made over $10.5 billion in reimbursements for school capital improvement projects. MSBA reimbursements have saved districts over $2.9 billion in avoided local interest costs and have provided much needed cash flow to communities.