High School Building Committee

Medford Public Schools was invited in December 2023 to participate in the first phase of the MSBA school building grant program. The grant program could potentially provide significant state funding for the rebuilding or new construction of a new Medford High School. This state funding program requires that all applicants establish a school building committee according to state guidelines.

Medford submitted a Statement of Interest to the MSBA because the current Medford High School’s aging facilities have posed increasing challenges to the school’s general education and career technical education programs. The current high school building, which opened in 1970, no longer meets the needs of a 21st century secondary education environment.

In December of 2023, Medford was invited into the Eligibility Phase of the MSBA process. The Eligibility Period assists the MSBA with managing its financial resources by identifying early in the process whether a District is ready to manage and fund a capital project. It helps to determine a District’s financial and community readiness to enter the capital pipeline. It will also assist Districts locally by providing a definitive schedule and identifying needs for planning and budgeting. Medford submitted all required paperwork for the MSBA Eligibility Phase in the summer of 2024.

In February of 2025, Medford was unanimously approved by the the next stage of the MSBA process, the Feasibility Phase. During this stage, Medford and the MSBA will partner to find the most educationally appropriate and fiscally responsible solution towards a new Medford High school. The district is currently in the process of procuring an Owner's Project Manager (OPM) and Designer as part of forming the building project team. 

The full membership of the Medford Comprehensive High School Building Committee includes voting and non-voting members. Special efforts were made during the selection process to recruit members of the community with architecture, engineering and/or construction experience; a diverse and representative array of parents, educators and other community members; and members with specific credentials or experience in accordance with state law. The initial term of the Building Committee's appointees will end on January 26, 2025 or the successful completion of the eligibility phase, whichever is sooner, with the option of reappointment.

Voting Members

• Jenny Graham, Committee Chair and Member of the Medford School Committee
• Breanna Lungo-Koehn, Mayor of Medford
• Dr. Suzanne Galusi, Interim Superintendent
• Dr. Peter Cushing, Assistant Superintendent  Enrichment and Innovation
• Joan Bowen, Director of Pupil Services
• Marta Cabral, Medford High School Principal
• Libby Brown, architect, LEED-certified practitioner, and parent
• Marissa Desmond, project manager, architect and parent
• Maria D’Orsi, MHS staff member and grandparent
• Brian Hilliard, architect with MSBA experience and parent
• Tracy Keene, member of the Arts Community with Building Experience and parent
• Emily Lazzaro, City Councilor and parent
• Nicole Morell, communications and sustainability expert and parent
• Aaron Olapade, School Committee member
• Luke Preisner, engineer, project manager, and parent

Non-voting Members

• Bob Dickinson, City of Medford Finance Director
• Fiona Maxwell, City of Medford Chief Procurement Officer
• Chad Fallon, Director of Medford Vocational-Technical High School
• Dr. Laurie Hodgdon, Principal of Curtis Tufts High School
• John McLaughlin, Director of Buildings and Grounds
• Will Pipicelli, Director of Communications
• Paul Ruseau, School Committee member
• Philippe Santos, Civil Engineer and parent