MHS Building Project Accepted into MSBA Schematic Design Phase

MEDFORD - The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Board of Directors voted unanimously last Wednesday to move the City of Medford into the Schematic Design Phase as part of the MSBA construction process for a new Medford Comprehensive High School. 

Acceptance into the Schematic Design Phase allows the City to further its collaboration with the MSBA towards a new high school. During this phase, Medford, its project team, and the MSBA will partner to establish the scope, budget, and schedule for the project. 

During the August Board of Directors meeting, the MSBA also voted to approve increases to their funding limits for future projects across the Commonwealth. These increases will benefit the MHS project reimbursement from the MSBA. A full breakdown of the anticipated reimbursement along with the city’s project share will be provided at a future Medford Comprehensive High School Building Committee (SBC) meeting. 

“This is wonderful news and shows that the hard work and care we’ve been putting into this project is being acknowledged,” Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn said on the project's advancement. “Thank you to the MSBA for moving us forward to the next phase and bringing us one step closer to reimagining a new facility for our community. With the approval of an increase in our reimbursement amount, we’ll be able to help offset some costs and provide some tax relief for our community.”

In June, the SBC voted to approve a renovation and addition design option as part of its Preferred Schematic Report submission (PSR) to the MSBA. A final design for the project will be determined by the project team and the SBC in October of this year. A city debt exclusion vote is expected to occur in June 2027.

“Medford Public Schools would like to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to the MSBA following their approval to move our project into the Schematic Design Phase,” said Superintendent Dr. Suzanne B. Galusi. “The collaborative discussions with our project team, students, staff, community members, and the school building committee continue to progress the project. We look forward to carrying on this work in what will be a pivotal year for the future of our Medford High School students and staff.”

Throughout the coming weeks, the SBC will continue to review the design’s space summary to revise and finalize project space and costs. Concurrently, the city is undergoing Feasibility Studies of other community spaces throughout Medford that could affect the project’s scope. The SBC’s CMR Pre-Qualification Subcommittee is also working towards hiring a construction manager to join the project team, a process expected to conclude in late October of this year. 

“Thank you to our Medford community for your ongoing support towards this generational project,” said SBC Chair Jenny Graham. “The dedication shown by our Building Committee reflects our residents’ strong desire to create a learning environment our current and future Medford students, staff and community members will be proud of. I am eager to work alongside the SBC, our project team, and the public in the next phase of the project.” 

The next SBC meeting will be held on Thursday, September 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the MHS Library and on Zoom. Community members can also watch the meeting via Medford Community Media and the MPS YouTube channel. To learn more about the project and see upcoming events, please visit https://medfordhsproject.com/. Additionally, community members can stay informed on the project by signing up for the project mailing list.

For press inquiries about this project, please contact Medford Public Schools Director of Communications Will Pipicelli.

(E): wpipicelli@medford.k12.ma.us

(P): 781-393-0599