Millis school officials present preferred addition-and-renovation plan; town share estimated $71M–$83M

Diane Germain, vice chair of the Permanent Building Committee and the School Building Committee, opened a June 5 community forum in Millis presenting the committee’s preferred addition-and-renovation option (labeled AR4A) for the Millis Middle–High School. The committee submitted the preferred schematic to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) and is preparing for an MSBA board vote in October and a town vote in November.

The plan is intended to replace the parts of the current middle–high school building the MSBA found most out of date, add new classroom wings and a full-size gym, reorganize campus traffic to separate buses and cars, and create distinct learning “neighborhoods” for middle and high school students while retaining shared spaces such as the auditorium and cafeteria. “We’ve landed on an addition and renovation option, that we believe will be able to give our kids the education they need in the 21st century,” said Bob Milaney, superintendent of Millis Public Schools.

The committee and project team described the option as a cost-controlled approach that reuses as much of the existing building as feasible while adding new facilities where the existing footprint does not meet MSBA standards. Architect Chris Lisonbee of Tapay Architects summarized the design move: “We’re proposing taking that portion of the building off…and then doing an addition where you see the green,” showing a new two‑story addition that would house most middle‑school program spaces and a new gym sized for MIAA postseason competition.

Why this matters: the committee said the existing building faces recurring operational problems—heat on the second floor and periodic flooding—that have interfered with instruction. The MSBA invited Millis into its program on the basis of facility needs, and MSBA participation can cover a significant…