Millis committee advances AR 4A addition‑renovation for middle‑high school; town share estimated $71–$82 million

The Town of Millis School Building Committee presented its preferred plan — labeled AR 4A — to renovate and add onto the Millis Middle‑High School at a public forum, outlining an estimated total project cost of about $127.4 million and a projected Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) reimbursement in the 35–44% range that would lower the town’s share to roughly $71–$82 million. "The choice that we make this fall at town meeting will dictate how the school functions for the next several decades," said Richard Nichols, chairman of the school building committee.

Why it matters: The middle‑high school, built around 1960 with only partial work in the 1990s, has aging infrastructure and space deficiencies, including recent leaks and undersized classrooms. Superintendent Bob May told the forum that windows and other elements bring light to the building but also let in water: "The windows are nice. Unfortunately, those windows are good for bringing light in, but they're also not so good at keeping rain out." Committee members said the MSBA program lets towns leverage state reimbursement to address both safety and educational standards.

What AR 4A would do: Under the plan shown by architect Chris Blessin of TAPPE, the far academic wing would be demolished and replaced with a two‑story classroom addition; a new, larger gym…