State school officials have taken a significant step in moving forward with the redevelopment of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School.
The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) board of directors voted to move the high school project into the schematic design phase on Wednesday — accepting the preferred addition and renovation option submitted by the district earlier this year. Going forward, plans will be formalized, and the school administration will begin to bring designs to the Island community for further scrutiny before the state makes a final decision whether to financially support the project. The state is expected to make that decision in February, before a final price is brought to voters at town meetings in the spring.
For Superintendent Richie Smith, Wednesday’s decision is an important step forward. “We are very excited about going through this process,” Smith told The Times. He noted that the state board could have rejected the plans, or asked for significant changes that would have stalled the project and led to higher costs.
State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg, also the chair of the school building authority, was quoted in a statement sent out by the state on Wednesday. “Thanks to our collaborative work with local officials, we are working to build a 21st century educational facility that will provide Martha’s Vineyard Regional students with a top-notch learning environment,” Goldberg said.
The addition-renovation plan that the Martha’s Vineyard High School building committee outlined in its submitted plans was chosen a few months ago. The proposal includes a two-floor, updated school, and new facilities for career and technical education (CTE) departments that are currently below state requirements for size, efficacy, and/or utilities, but keeps the beloved Performing Arts Center (PAC) and the gym intact.
MSBA approval would ensure a reimbursement rate of about 38 percent for the cost of the project. While the school building project was accepted to be part of the state program, and is on track so far, continued sign-offs from MSBA are crucial for repayment for possibly the most costly building project the Island has ever seen, at an estimated total project cost of more than $334.5 million, according to submissions school officials made to MSBA. Construction costs are estimated at $254 million. That number will likely fluctuate once shovels are in the ground.
The addition-renovation plan also ensures that students don’t have to relocate to an outsourced facility during the building process — they’ll be able to move from one side of the building to the other as each part gets built. Smith said that the state appreciated that aspect in its comments back to the district.
Identified deficiencies to the existing mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems, as well as asbestos beneath the flooring and accessibility issues will all be addressed by the building project.
“The addition/renovation project for Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School will mean a better learning and teaching location for students and teachers,” stated MSBA Executive Director and Deputy CEO Mary Pichetti in a release from the state.