Braintree Restarts South Middle School Bidding After Court Ruling

BRAINTREE, MA — The bidding process for getting a construction firm to build a new South Middle School has started over following a court ruling, according to Braintree Mayor Charles Kokoros.

Kokoros said the change came after four non-union contractors and two associations of contractors used the town, because of a project labor agreement (PLA) included as a requirement for firms to bid on the school construction project.

In 2020, Braintree, with the unanimous support of the School Building Committee, decided to use a PLA on the South Middle School project. A PLA is a pre-hire agreement that establishes the terms and conditions of employment on a construction project. On this project it would have, among other things, used local union hiring halls to hire workers, prevented delays in construction due to work stoppages and provided a more diverse work force, Kokoros said.

But following the lawsuit, the court ordered the town to rebid the project without the PLA.

"While I respect the decision of the court, I continue to support the Quincy and South Shore Building Trades Council and recognize the excellent work performed by their members," Kokoros said in a statement.

Town officials have since began the school's rebidding process. Kokoros said the new delay will not impact the new school's scheduled opening date.

"I remain committed to ensuring that construction of the new South Middle School is completed in time for our fifth through eighth graders to begin the 2023 school year at this state-of-the-art educational facility," Kokoros said.

The 146,000-square-foot building will be constructed behind the existing school and will be the first new school built in Braintree in about 50 years.

The new middle school project was approved via a $63 million debt exclusion that Braintree voters supported in a special election last fall. School officials estimate the new school will cost $72.3 million to build, and the state is expected to contribute $31 million.

School officials say the new South Middle School will consist of three main parts.

The first section will include a dining room/auditorium, media commons, two innovation labs with computers and a band room.

The second part of the school will consist of two 2-story sections, organized by grade. This is where classrooms will be, with grades 7 and 8 in one and the lower grades in another.

The third part of the building is the athletic wing and includes two gymnasiums, one with bleachers and one without. In the middle will be a courtyard with three seating areas designed to allow teachers to take a classroom outside.