Boston, MA - State Treasurer Steven Grossman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), and Katherine Craven, Executive Director of the MSBA, today joined local officials at a groundbreaking ceremony for the addition and renovation project at Marshall Simonds Middle School.
“This is a down payment on the academic excellence of the students of Marshall Simonds,” said Treasurer Grossman. “Upon completion, this new school will not only provide a modern learning environment for the students who walk these halls, but it will also create the space badly needed to deliver the district’s educational commitments to their fullest potential.”
The $32.8 million project will create new space for science labs, foreign language classrooms, computer and music instruction, a media center, and student guidance. Work includes the renovation of the existing 118,000 square foot school and the construction of a 33,225 square foot addition. The MSBA will reimburse Burlington approximately 54% of eligible project costs – up to $17,143,488.
“As a result of the collaboration between the MSBA and the district, the students and staff of Marshall Simonds Middle School will benefit from a much improved environment for learning and teaching while saving state and local taxpayers money,” said Executive Director Katherine Craven.
The MSBA strives to find the right-sized, most fiscally responsible, and educationally appropriate solutions to create safe and sound learning environments. It is committed to protecting the taxpayers’ dollar by improving the school building grant process and avoiding the costly mistakes of the past in the funding and construction of schools. The MSBA reformed the Commonwealth’s formerly rampant and unsustainable school building program, which was more than $11 billion in debt.
Since its inception in 2004, the Authority has made $7.6 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.
