State Gives Braintree $31 Million For New Middle School

BRAINTREE, MA — The Massachusetts School Building Authority voted to award Braintree about $31 million for a new South Middle School. The money, along with funding from the town, will be used to create a new 145,846 square-foot facility for about 800 students in grades five through eight.

Town officials estimate the new school will cost $78 million to $83 million. The new school will replace a 60-year-old building and be Braintree's first new school since the high school in 1972.

"Braintree students will soon have a beautiful new space which will undoubtedly enhance and improve their ability to excel in the classroom," MSBA executive director John McCarthy said in a statement.

Previously, school officials explored building an addition on the existing school, so that Grade 5 could be moved from the elementary school to the middle school. But School Committee vice chair Thomas Devin argued that a new school would be cheaper and could be built faster than renovating and adding on to the current school. The school committee voted last February to submit a proposal to the school building authority.

"This action maintains the momentum of our comprehensive School Building Program with South scheduled to start construction in the Summer of 2020," Mayor Joseph Sullivan said in a statement.

The expansion and renovation of East Middle School was also part of the plan to free up elementary school classes by adding fifth graders to the middle school. Part of that construction will be completed for this school year, but the East Middle School will open two days later than the rest of the district so its safe and clean for students. The rest of the renovations are expected to be finished by next school year.