Town Council Approves East Middle School Renovation Funding

BRAINTREE, MA — The only things left for the East Middle School renovation project is to finalize the design, get it out to bid, and get the shovels in the ground.

The Braintree Town Council approved the funding for the $83.4 million renovation project Tuesday night, clearing the last major financial hurdle for the project. The 8-1 vote was only objected by Councilor Stephen O’Brien.

As part of the project, the Massachusetts School Building Authority will reimburse the town for about 58 percent of the project. The remaining costs will be paid for within the town budget and will not require a debt exclusion or override vote.

“This is the best plan. I think this is the best thing, other than the mayoral form of government, to happen to Braintree,” Councilor Shannon Hume said. “Your taxes aren't going up and you’re getting a brand new building. This addresses the space need at all six elementary schools, the Monatiquot Kindergarten Center, and the middle schools. Every student will reap the benefits.”

With the elementary schools near capacity, school officials are hoping to create more space with large renovations of both middle schools. Plans call for East and South middle schools to be divided into two academies within the schools. The fifth and sixth grades will make up one academy and seventh and eighth grade will occupy the other. During the day, neither academy at the school will have any interaction. Both groups will have their own cafeterias and gymnasiums as well.

“This historic investment shows our commitment to the schools and children of Braintree. We’ve cut out the elementary schools to the point where there are no libraries. This is an opportunity to fix that. I commend Superintendent Frank Hackett, the school committee, and the mayor for putting together this proposal because I’ve never really seen someone come up with anything other than a debt exclusion for school improvement,” Councilor Charles Kokoros said.

O’Brien, the lone dissenter, said he was worried about the costs and the possibility that parents would begin to fear the idea of sending their fifth grader on a bus to middle school.

“While I think it’s terrific that MSBA is going to reimburse the town, I believe the cost is more than I thought it would be,” he said.

Hume replied that she heard those concerns as well, but brought up that there was a similar criticism when the kindergarten center opened, moving the grade from the neighborhood schools to one building.

“How many people said they didn’t want their 5-year-old kids going across town on a bus? Now they want their kids in that building,” Hume said.

Town officials say the design is about 60 percent complete. After the project is put out to bid, work is expected to begin at the end of the school year and with a target to open for the 2020-21 school year. During construction, East Middle School will remain open.

Work on a renovated South Middle School is expected to progress in the near future. Mayor Joseph Sullivan said that renovation is in the MSBA's pipeline.

Image via Braintree Public Schools