Medford committee approves RFS to MSBA, moves to Phase 2 of high school project; three members added to OPM selection panel

The Medford Comprehensive School Building Committee voted unanimously, 14–0 with one member absent, to approve a request-for-services (RFS) package to the Massachusetts School Building Authority that starts Phase 2 of the Medford High School project and puts the district in the MSBA review queue.

The RFS will be sent to MSBA “tomorrow” for a two‑week review so Medford can be scheduled for the OPM (owner’s project manager) selection process, Jenny Graham, chair of the Medford Comprehensive School Building Committee, told attendees. "We will review that tonight with a goal to make any amendments that this committee sees fit and get ready to send that to the MSBA tomorrow," Graham said.

Why it matters: Approval moves Medford from the MSBA eligibility work into the procurement and feasibility phase, allowing the district to hire an OPM and then an architect to complete a feasibility study that will evaluate renovation, addition, and new‑construction options. That study will determine a preferred solution and provide construction schedules, cost estimates, and life‑cycle analyses for each option.

What the committee approved and the vote: The RFS as amended uses the MSBA template and includes an evaluation rubric for scoring OPM proposals. The motion to approve the RFS was moved by Emily Lazaro (motion:…