Framingham Fuller School Project Comes In $4.3 Million Under Budget

FRAMINGHAM, MA — The Fuller Middle School School Building Committee held its final meeting on Monday, announcing cost savings on the multiyear project which saw a new school building open in the city.

A $4.3 million cost avoidance as part of the group’s final financial review was announced on Monday, which will save taxpayers an average of $7 a year, from a projected $101 to $94.

Framingham's original application to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) in 2013, was invited into the program to perform a Feasibility Study in 2016, and after a year-long study, the Mayor, City Council, School Committee, and the voters approved its $98,276,878 cost in the fall of 2018.

The School Building Committee completed the project under budget, meaning that, of the $98.3 million appropriation, approximately $4.3 million no longer needs to be bonded, resulting in savings to the city and taxpayers.

The MSBA provided $39.4 million for the project.

According to officials, the school is equipped with several energy-saving features, including roof and solar carport (photovoltaic) systems that will generate 81 percent of the school’s electrical use.

Fuller was built with Framingham's "commitment to providing a 21st century, student-centered education," which puts an emphasis on STEAM and the performing arts.

“The new Fuller Middle School continues to be a hallmark of our district and has reimagined the ways in which teaching and learning happens in a space that allows for visible modeling and hands-on experiences to make learning tangible for our students,” said Dr. Robert Tremblay, Superintendent of Framingham Public Schools.

“On behalf of our students, their families and caregivers, and our staff, we wish to extend our deepest gratitude to the taxpayers of the City of Framingham for their support of this project.”

The school opened in the summer of 2021, and the construction of two synthetic multi-purpose fields was completed in the fall of 2022 for a cost of $3.2 million.