The Shrewsbury School Committee on Oct. 8 voted unanimously to recommend that Town Meeting support a warrant article appropriating $3,000,000 for a feasibility study of potential renovation or expansion options at Shrewsbury High School, 75 Cypress Ave. The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has preliminarily indicated a 52.26% reimbursement rate; if the full $3 million were spent, the district’s net cost would be about $1,420,000.

Why it matters: The feasibility study is the MSBA-required next step to examine options, estimate costs, and develop a preferred schematic for addressing severe overcrowding and aging building systems at the high school. Moving into the MSBA pipeline preserves the town’s eligibility for partial state reimbursement of future construction and system-repair costs.

At the Oct. 8 meeting, Erin Boucher, chairperson of the Shrewsbury School Committee, described the warrant article and the reimbursement expectation: “It is expected that the recommended amount will be $3,000,000 and that 52.26% reimbursement from the Massachusetts School Building Authority will apply. So the town's net cost would be approximately 1,420,000.00 if the appropriation were fully expended.”

District staff summarized the MSBA process and timeline. Officials said the district is in Module 1 (eligibility) and, if Town Meeting approves the feasibility funding at a special Town Meeting set for Oct. 22, the project would move into Module 2 (forming a project team) and Module 3 (feasibility study). The total MSBA process through schematic design can take up to 913 days; optimistic schedules presented by staff showed potential project completion as early as August 2030 or as late as 2031–32 depending on timing and approvals.

The $3 million request covers OPM (owner’s project manager) and architect fees, testing and surveys, contingencies, and other reimbursable costs. District staff said the figure was based on recent peer projects and the town’s large high-school enrollment (above 1,800 students), which places Shrewsbury toward the higher end of feasibility-study costs for comparable districts.

Committee members supported advancing the study. Several members said MSBA’s review process and partial reimbursement make proceeding fiscally prudent; one member noted that without MSBA participation the town would face the full cost of major repairs (roof, HVAC, windows) with no state reimbursement.

Formal committee action: A motion that “the school committee vote to recommend that town meeting members support Article 8 on the 10/22/2025 special town meeting warrant in order to provide funding for the Shrewsbury High School feasibility study” was moved, seconded, and carried unanimously.

What’s next: If Town Meeting authorizes the appropriation, the district will procure an OPM and architect under MSBA procurement rules, complete the feasibility study and a preferred schematic, and return to the community with cost estimates and a recommended solution for voter consideration.