The Millis Select Board on Oct. 20 approved placing a two-part financing plan before residents for a planned renovation and partial addition to the Millis Middle–High School, setting a town meeting vote for Nov. 10 and a ballot question for a special election on Dec. 8. Town officials presented the project as a renovation and addition (not a new building) with an estimated total cost of $125,000,000, and said the Massachusetts School Building Authority will reimburse 55% of eligible costs, about $68,750,000. The town would seek $56,250,000 in local borrowing.

Officials said the work would separate middle- and high-school classroom wings, replace undersized science labs, and bring roofing, HVAC, electrical, fire panels, ADA access and security up to current codes. The Select Board emphasized timing: officials said the state reimbursement offer makes this the lowest-cost moment to act.

The town’s timeline and voting mechanics matter: the Nov. 10 town meeting vote would authorize borrowing and requires a two-thirds majority. The Dec. 8 ballot question would be a simple-majority vote to approve a property-tax increase to pay debt service. If either vote fails, the project would not proceed under this financing plan. Town staff also said the state reimbursement is secured through a contract with the MSBA and is not tied to federal grant funds.

Select Board Chair Erin Underhill and Town Administrator Mike Kaczynski explained the voting steps to the public and described program details. Kaczynski told the board that the MSBA funds “are already in the hands of the state in their treasury” and added, “there really is 0 risk here from that perspective.” The project presenter said the school “needs to be fixed now” and warned, “There is no do nothing option,” listing immediate problems such as leaking roofs, drafty windows and undersized science rooms that do not meet current safety standards.

Officials provided an illustrative household impact: for a single-family house with an assessed value of $605,000, the town’s share of the project was stated as about $918 per year (based on the presenters’ calculation using a $1.51 per $1,000 rate applied to assessed value). Officials also said that an alternative of repeatedly patching the building over the next decade could cost the town an estimated $75,000,000 with no state reimbursement, and would raise the average household cost higher than the proposed plan.

Select Board members noted one targeted tax relief provision that voters previously approved at town meeting: an exemption for long-term seniors who already qualify for the circuit-breaker tax credit, intended to protect the most financially vulnerable residents from the school-related tax increase. That exemption requires a special act of the state legislature; town officials said the request is modeled on a law previously approved for Hopkinton and is still under consideration in Boston.

The board voted unanimously on Oct. 20 to call a special election for Dec. 8 and to insert the exact ballot question (the warrant and ballot language were read into the record). Town leaders urged residents to attend the Nov. 10 town meeting (7:30 p.m., Millis Middle–High School) and to vote in December. The Select Board cautioned that construction costs historically rise if towns delay and said the MSBA reimbursement program’s availability is not guaranteed indefinitely.

Officials said additional public outreach will be provided ahead of both votes, and noted that all town boards that reviewed the project — including the Select Board, School Committee, Finance Committee and the School Building Committee — had endorsed the plan during the multi-year study and project design process.

A full project scope and the ballot question text were filed with the town warrant and will appear in meeting materials distributed to voters.