Millis building committee recommends AR‑4A addition‑renovation to separate middle and high schools

The Town of Millis School Building Committee voted unanimously Jan. 22 to recommend AR‑4A — an addition‑plus‑renovation option that would add a new middle‑school wing and gym while renovating the existing high‑school areas — as the committee’s preferred option to submit to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

The vote followed design and cost updates from the project team and a review of how MSBA eligibility rules and caps affect potential reimbursement. Committee Chair Rich (Rich’s last name not specified in the record), moving the recommendation, said, “I bring forward a motion that we approve the 4 a renovation project, to bring forwards to the select board.” The motion passed with votes recorded for Jim (yes), Diane (yes), Mark (yes), Denise (yes), John McDonough (yes) and Rich (yes). The committee will ask the School Committee and Select Board to endorse the recommendation before the project team files the Project Scope and Return (PSR) with MSBA.

Why it matters: The AR‑4A plan is designed to meet the project’s educational program goals by creating distinct middle‑school neighborhoods, new STEAM and science spaces and a regulation‑sized gym while keeping shared services (auditorium, cafeteria) at the building core. School administration argued the option best addresses classroom overcrowding and special‑education and English‑learner space needs that smaller renovation schemes would not solve.

Design highlights and school rationale Chris (design team) walked the committee through the AR‑4A floor plans, showing an addition on the south side of the building that includes a new gym, multiple classrooms sized to MSBA standards, and a counseling center created by infilling the existing…