Hopkinton advances FY27 capital plan while weighing geothermal HVAC for schools

The Hopkinton School Committee on Oct. 9 approved a FY27 capital plan that includes a handicapped student services van, technology replacements and classroom furniture, and continued to develop plans for larger HVAC replacements at Hopkinton High School and Hopkinton Middle School.

The capital plan approved for FY27 covers a student‑services van, end‑of‑life technology replacements and replacement of desks and chairs in 25 middle‑school classrooms. Committee members voted to send those items forward to the May town meeting ballot; the committee did not finalize HVAC borrowing for the high school or middle school at this meeting.

Facilities staff presented four HVAC paths for both schools: in‑kind replacement with added cooling, air‑source heat pumps, geothermal water‑to‑water systems and distributed geothermal heat pumps. Presenters said a geothermal water‑to‑water approach for the high school showed a lower net budget cost than the in‑kind option and that some geothermal options could qualify the town for incentives and tax credits that would reduce net borrowing needs.

Jeff Roland of the Sustainable Green Committee told the committee the geothermal option for the high school "has a $300,000 cheaper net cost than in‑kind replacement" and projected substantial operational savings over 20 years. Roland also noted potential grant and incentive eligibility, including Mass Save and climate‑oriented grants that could reduce net costs.

District staff presented a multi‑year funding timeline: the FY27 items that the committee approved are limited to the van, classroom equipment and technology. The committee discussed advancing a high‑school HVAC project in FY28, timed to await firmer figures on the Charleswood project underrun and on incentives that staff said may arrive when projects complete. Staff described a conservative modeling scenario that used a $20 million conservative underrun on the Charleswood project (district staff reported the project currently shows about $38 million under budget but cautioned change orders will reduce that figure) and illustrated how incentives and investment tax credits could offset much of the HVAC borrowing if timed over several fiscal years.

Committee members said timing matters: town meeting authorization would still be required to borrow for any HVAC work. Staff said the timing of incentives can vary (Mass Save typically pays at completion; other credits may have different schedules), so tax‑impact questions will depend on the exact borrowing and reimbursement timing. Facilities staff also said the high school currently has five boilers and that loss of a single boiler would not immediately disable building heat, giving the district some runway to plan replacements rather than taking emergency action.

The committee approved the FY27 capital plan by vote and asked staff to continue detailed design and cost work for geothermal options so a final borrowing article can be proposed to the town at the appropriate future town meeting.

Reporting notes: cost and incentives figures (projected Mass Save and investment tax‑credit amounts) were presented by facilities staff during the meeting; final incentive levels and actual tax impacts will depend on completion schedules and grant approvals.