Millis committee approves $127 million not-to-exceed school project budget, OKs proprietary technology items

The Millis School Building Committee voted Wednesday to approve a not-to-exceed total project budget of $127,000,000 for the town’s school addition and renovation project and authorized two related actions: including a security-glazing alternate in the construction budget and designating a list of technology items as proprietary.

Committee members said the approvals allow the team to move to a joint presentation with the school committee and select board and to prepare the package the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) requires for reimbursement review.

The vote followed a presentation from Vertex summarizing updated construction cost estimates, technology costs and contingencies. Vertex and its consultants recommended carrying the higher of two cost estimates as the “budget of record” for town meeting. The project team reported a construction-cost estimate of about $97,000,784 before alternates and allowances; after folding in the security-glazing alternate and other items, they reported construction costs in the high $98 million range and conveyed the $127,000,000 figure as the not-to-exceed total project budget to the committee.

The committee also reviewed a technology budget prepared with the town’s technology consultant. That package included a $1,200,000 technology allowance and a proprietary equipment list the committee was asked to designate. The presenter explained that because the district operates two schools on the same network, several items are being recommended as proprietary so they can “bolt on” to the existing infrastructure rather than create parallel systems. Doug, the town’s technology consultant, described the voice system as an on-site voice-over-IP PBX, saying, “PBX is an older terminology, but it's a voice over IP system.” The committee approved the proprietary designation by voice vote.

On alternates, the building committee moved to include Alternate 1, a security-glazing option requested by public safety, and approved that motion by voice vote. The presenter said the glazing alternate was priced separately to show the premium for hardening ground-floor windows and doors and that the item would be shown as an incorporated budget line going forward.

Vertex outlined other major budget components: a standard 10% design contingency carried at this stage, a construction contingency they described as 7.5% (the team said they could consider trimming it closer to 5–7%), allowances for hazardous-material abatement and demo (roughly $3 million included in the renovation subtotal), site work and general conditions, and soft-cost contingencies. The presenter said the project team assumed roughly two years of escalation and that some technology procurement timing is expected to be later in the schedule (technology delivery was described as roughly two years out for budgeting purposes). The presenter also noted a $1,300,000 feasibility-study agreement the town had already appropriated.

Committee members asked how the MSBA reimbursement rate was calculated. Vertex walked through the MSBA form, reported the town’s current base reimbursement at roughly 53.3% plus incentive points that push the working estimate to about 57.8% of eligible costs, and said the project’s final reimbursement percentage would be confirmed by MSBA in the coming review process. The presenter cautioned that MSBA workload could delay the final number into October but said the project team expects further clarification at that time. The committee also discussed the project schedule: if approved at town meeting, the presenter said design would take about a year, with ground breaking targeted for March 2027 and an approximate construction duration of about 32 months.

After discussion, the committee voted to approve the $127,000,000 not-to-exceed budget and to forward the committee’s recommendation and required report to the joint meeting with the school committee and select board. The presenter described next steps: finalize the submission to MSBA, host public forums and information sessions, and appear before boards and finance committees in the run-up to the town meeting vote.

The committee and consultants emphasized contingency planning and clear messaging to the public about the actions that produced savings and improved the MSBA reimbursement position. The committee’s motions passed unanimously.

The presentation included multiple cost breakdowns and alternates, and the building committee requested a draft of the report to review ahead of the joint endorsement meeting scheduled for August 25 and the formal packet submission later in August.