Updated Dec. 22.
The estimated cost and town-by-town breakdown for the new high school renovation and addition was announced as a staggering $333 million for the projected total, as the school committee moves into the next big phase of securing the necessary funding to complete the project. This estimated total could be eased by a potential $78 million state grant.
While aligned with the costs of building and renovating schools, which have been soaring throughout the state, the price tag represents the highest of any Island capital building project ever.
The school committee held a key vote last Wednesday, Dec. 18, and decided to send a submission packet, which included the project cost estimates, to the state grant organization. Going forward, it is expected that the school committee will drastically increase community engagement before an Island-wide vote, tentatively scheduled for June 2, in which Islanders decide whether to fund the project.
The tax burden due to this new high school could affect Islanders for years to come, but school officials say waiting to renovate could impact generations of young learners. With mold and asbestos under floorboards, leaks from ceilings, and no central air, administrators have said the conditions of the current high school are not just due for an upgrade, but are unsafe for students and teachers.
The new estimate for the total build of the high school was presented at a long-awaited school building committee meeting on Friday, Dec. 12, with a disclaimer that it was possible the amount might change. The estimated reimbursement rate from the state could bring the amount Island towns and residents would pay to around $255.5 million.
Cost analysis for the building project was conducted by CHA Consulting, a firm that manages large projects like the high school and works with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). The MSBA is the state organization responsible for reimbursements for capital projects across Massachusetts, and their approval for the high school could be the difference in millions of dollars that taxpayers become responsible for.
CHA representatives assured the school committee that they conduct cost estimations often and are confident that what they came up with is an accurate representation of the total.
Michael Owen, project manager for CHA Consulting, said the estimates were done both for the final project submission to the MSBA, which is due on Dec. 18, and to “get a number to show [the committee] what we think the potential [MSBA] grant will be.”
The information that will be submitted to the MSBA by the committee includes all the estimates, plans, and schematics done so far. The MSBA board will vote on the submission in February, and is expected to approve the school committee for a final reimbursement rate after that.
“What [the MSBA] comes back with should be in range of what we calculated,” said Sidni Bragg, the financial analyst for CHA Consulting, in Friday’s meeting.
Per the schematic design report and going by the possible reimbursement of about $78 million from the MSBA, Edgartown is slated to pay the most, at an estimated $76.8 million for its 30 percent share of the project. The funding formula was decided on by representatives for all six towns in 2022.
Tisbury and Oak Bluffs would be paying a similar amount, the former an estimated $58.4 million for nearly 23 percent of the project, and the latter about $58.3 million. For almost 13.5 percent of the project, West Tisbury could be paying around $34.2 million; Chilmark, at over 8 percent, may pay an estimated $21.1 million; and Aquinnah, with the lowest share of 2.4 percent, could pay about $6.1 million.
In a meeting on Tuesday, some school officials expressed concern over the high costs of the school building project, while others suggested more public education and outreach efforts to explain why schools can be expensive to build.
“I think we should be proud of what we accomplished,” committee member Elsbeth Todd said on Tuesday. She added that it’s time to further educate the public about the project and costs.
The breakdown of costs for the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) building project include a construction budget of $256 million, insurance, construction and owner contingency, legal fees, the services from Tappé Architects, who designed the new school, and $12.7 million in administrative fees, which include services from CHA Consulting.
The high school was built in 1959 and has only had a few renovations since. The gym and Performing Arts Center are a part of a 1994 renovation and will be kept intact in the planned building project. The rest of the school, however, will undergo some serious work to address mold, asbestos, below-standard classroom sizes, mechanical issues, and accessibility.
Tappé Architects representatives said in previous meetings that their plan is for an all-electric building that complies with MSBA standards for sustainability and paves a path forward for the next generation of students.
Much of the ongoing operational costs of an all-electric school are dependent upon whether the committee moves forward with solar panels. The cost of installing them — which would likely be about $8.5 million — was included in the estimates on Friday as an alternative charge.
While construction and travel fees may be higher on the Island than in some other towns across Massachusetts, the proposed building plan for the local high school is not out of range of other projects, though is slightly higher than some with similar student populations. According to a Boston Globe report that pointed to a spike in construction costs for school projects since the COVID pandemic, high schools across the state, from 2022 to this year, have ranged from $100 million to $500 million to build.
The most costly high school building project on record in the state was in Lexington, which recently approved a staggering $660 million full-rebuild plan just this month.
Lowell High School is in the process of getting renovated for $374 million, and a $498 million building project is underway for students in Revere. These costs reflect a documented and sharp rise in construction and material pricing in the state.
For a closer comparison to the MVRHS student population and school size, Watertown High School is expected to cost about $220 million to build for 720 students. The new Watertown school has undergone substantial changes since they started planning the project in 2018, and costs rose over time. The cost of construction became more expensive since the pandemic, and various high school projects, like Watertown, across the state have mirrored that fact in their cost assessments over years of planning.
According to the MSBA, the average cost per square foot has risen dramatically statewide for high school building projects. The MVRHS building project will likely span just 100 square feet shy of 200,000. Per the estimated construction budget of about $256 million, the cost per square foot is a projected $1,282, which is similar to other high school building projects across the state.
School officials said the MSBA caps its reimbursement based on square footage so that there’s balance in funding school projects throughout Massachusetts. The Island will likely see a capped reimbursement rate but a higher price tag for the building project due to higher construction costs on the Vineyard, largely because of inflation, demand, and transportation.
Still, the costs that were presented at committee meetings last Friday and on Tuesday are subject to change. The MSBA board will vote on the submission packet in February and will return to the school committee with final reimbursement rates and cost. But the consulting group in charge said the numbers they presented are the most accurate estimates possible at this point in the project.
“I think these are solid numbers,” said Bragg in Friday’s meeting. “Once we submit this to the MSBA … they will crunch these again.”
Updated to reflect an inaccuracy in total square footage costs and new information about Wednesday’s vote.
We have the majority of families that can’t even afford to live here yet we are spending MILLIONS on a high school. How about we spend the money on housing alternatives and let the kids who are lucky enough to still stay here to deal with the school both my kids managed with in the 90’s? Housing far outweighs improvements to the high school.
You are incorrect.
Forty years ago.
Absolute craziness to spend this kind of money and make residents pay through new taxes on property. Ms Kelleher is correct. Many year round residents cant afford to live here already. This will drive more away. This is government in action ”’someone else will pay”. If this were private industry it would never happen. No ROI.
I understand people’s concerns about spending this much money on the high school. It’s a LOT of money. But it seems the conditions there are in serious need of an upgrade. The question is can the costs come down ? I’m not advocating for “cutting corners” but I have seen some pretty ridiculous stuff on some of these public works projects. I invite everyone who is concerned about the costs here to take a look at the grandiose opulence of the Oak Bluffs town hall. Just walk in, look around and ask yourself how could anyone justify that waste of money on some architects fantasy project. Ask yourself what is needed for a student to get a good education. Are the classrooms really “undersized” ? Will adding another 100 sq.ft per classroom really improve the education of the students ? How about 12 ft ceilings instead of 8 ft ceilings ? Imported Italian marble instead of tile for the floors ? Fancy crown molding ? How about allowing some volunteer work ? There will be hundreds of hours of labor to assemble things like desks and chairs. What is the risk to have people assemble chairs in the parking lot ? I for once agree with Andy ….. ( sort of)
A projected cost exceeding $330 million for a single high school project is not just concerning — it is breathtaking. Even after MSBA reimbursement, Islanders would still be responsible for roughly $255 million, locking in a massive tax obligation for decades. For a small, year-round community already under financial strain, this deserves far more skepticism than it appears to be receiving.
What is especially troubling is the lack of clear, town-by-town tax impacts presented alongside these headline numbers. Moving forward without that transparency is backwards. Residents should not be asked to trust that the figures are “in range” while the real consequences remain undefined.
Addressing mold, asbestos, accessibility, and aging infrastructure is necessary — no one disputes that. But necessity does not require a nearly 200,000-square-foot rebuild at more than $600 per square foot, before contingencies, professional fees, and optional additions are layered on. That scale reflects expansion, not discipline.
At a time when housing costs, taxes, and basic living expenses are forcing people off the Island, this proposal feels disconnected from economic reality. The issue is not whether the school needs work. It is whether this plan shows fiscal responsibility.
The estimated cost per square foot is in the range of $1,700 per square foot based upon the article’s own numbers. The article’s claim of $605 is, unfortunately, wildly erroneous.
Thanks Jean and Andrew-this is not only stupid-but out of control-the situation we are in should be shelved until regionalization is complete-teacher housing-and bring back mcas testing to see if they are competent in reading-writing math civics and [ most important ] American history-We learn from our mistakes-We are all Americans-white black asian etc -EVERYONE IS EQUAL-an education is needed to compete and not get left behind-MVRH keeps the students warm and fed but teaching them leaves a lot to be fixed-reading the newspapers there is a lot to learn beside what people are doing on private islands +east 74st in nyc [ fun] and Putin expanding his reach [ bad ] enough said-
MCAS is not a strong indicator of competence.
Colleges do not look at them.
We are not all treated equally, not even on Island.
Putin is freeing Ukraine from foreign domination.
Like we are freeing Venezuela from drugs.
Don raises understandable concerns about excess and waste, but much of his line of reasoning drifts away from the actual proposal.
Comparisons to Oak Bluffs Town Hall, Italian marble, crown molding, or “architects’ fantasies” are rhetorical, not factual. There is no evidence that the high school plan includes luxury finishes or ornamental excess. Conflating unrelated projects risks distracting from the real issues: scale, scope, and long-term cost.
Questions about whether classrooms are “really undersized” or whether ceiling height matters oversimplify modern building and educational standards. Classroom size, ventilation, accessibility, and daylighting are tied to safety, air quality, and state requirements — not aesthetics — and are necessary to qualify for MSBA reimbursement.
The idea of volunteer labor assembling furniture, while well-intentioned, misunderstands public construction realities. Union rules, liability, insurance, and procurement laws make such savings unrealistic on a project of this magnitude.
Where agreement does exist is on scrutiny. But that scrutiny should focus on square footage, enrollment projections, phasing options, and clear town-by-town tax impacts — not broad gestures toward “waste.”
The core question remains fiscal responsibility.
Go back to the drawing board. A third of a billion dollars is an obscene amount of money. Surely there are no-frills options that could provide students with a building both safe and utilitarian.
Beyond that, every planned feature should be treated as expendable. Get rid of all luxuries.
This proposal is irresponsible, as were numerous choices that landed us here. I know someone who’s been involved with an aspect of MVRHS maintenance since the ’90s. He, among others, tried sounding the alarm.
In response, nothing changed. The school even lost a good teacher to decades of neglect, yet procrastination continued among Island leadership.
https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2016/09/19/math-teacher-who-created-linguini-challenge-leaves-high-school
If previous estimates are accurate, Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven will each have to shoulder 23% of the bill. That’s impossible for some Islanders. It may decide whether they can remain in their homes. An unacceptable consequence.
The failures surrounding this topic are endless. Let’s not add to the list. A single project shouldn’t have the power to tank personal budgets or dictate futures.
Perhaps a hybrid-private merit based school- (privately funded) is an alternative.
Some families are looking for an academically rigorous, education focused on fundamentals, discipline, history, testing, and civics. An independent school gives that option and doesn’t involve the tax payers.
Is there a mistake here? it looks like the cost is $1500/sqft. Is that including the solar? This is a staggering amount that will leave all island towns struggling for years to come to do anything else
One of the advantages of rejecting this project would be that in five or ten years the cost will have risen to half a billion and there will be no reimbursements.
(Tisbury recently learned this hard lesson, to the tune of about fifty million dollars.)
A simple google search on school building renovations in Mass:
Key Cost Indicators
Cost per Square Foot (psf): Recent projects show costs around $1,200 – $1,300+ psf, with examples like Lexington ($1,293 psf) and Salem ($1,291 psf).
Total Project Budgets:
Revere High School: ~$498 Million
Lowell High: ~$374 Million
Factors Influencing Cost
Construction Inflation: Prices have significantly increased post-2021.
School Size & Type: High schools and vocational schools are more expensive due to complex facilities and larger footprints.
So, with this simple research you can see that the MVRHS school building renovation is not excessive, it is right on par. One thing that you have to remember, MVRHS is a comprehensive school, meaning, we have to provide vocational education because of our geographic location, programs that help our tourism industry. Please stop these negative opinions about the building plan. The high school is a community used building. The gym, the fields, the PAC, and the classrooms are used constantly by youth groups, the island arts community, adult education, adult trade licensing programs, and senior programming. It is not just a school building, it is a community center used by all islanders. Get on board and invest in our children and our community, remember, they are going to choose where you live in your golden years.
Our per pupil costs are $10k per student higher than the cape. Save 300 Million and spend 30 million on a fast ferry and busses. You can even paint the ferry school bus yellow. Problems Solved and Better rated educational opportunities for our children on the cape.
LET THE HEADS EXPLODE
From the New York Times: November 15th 1986:
Donald J. Trump refurbished the Central Park -skating rink two and a half months ahead of his own speedy six-month schedule and $750,000 below his own projected $3 million budget, having taken over the project after the city spent six years and $12 million unsuccessfully trying to get the job done.
What is happening at the Steamship? When its “public money” there is no limit to waste and corruption.
When a private group builds they usually start with a budget, not a dream.
I think our US Senators, Warren and Markey should ask the White House for help when they finish the Big Beautiful Ballroom.