Committee hears $11.1 million request for window and door replacements at two Boston schools

Councilor Brian Worrell, chair of the Boston City Council Committee on Ways and Means, convened a Nov. 6, 2025 virtual hearing to consider document 1926, a loan order authorizing the city to appropriate $11,100,000 for window and door replacement projects at Gardner Pilot Academy and the Linden K–8 School as part of the Massachusetts School Building Authority(MSBA) 2024 accelerated repair program.

Carlton Jones, executive director of the Public Facilities Department, and Brian McLaughlin, senior project manager, told the committee the funding request would allow design work to continue through 2026 and place both projects on track for summer 2027 construction. "We're here for the 2024 accelerated repair program, funding for, through the MSBA, the Gardner Pilot Academy, and the Linden K through 8 school," Jones said.

McLaughlin described the MSBA as "a state authority that oversees the funding of public school projects in the state of Massachusetts" and summarized the city's broader participation: 56 projects in the MSBA pipeline, including six core projects and numerous accelerated repair (ARP) projects. He said the city's MSBA portfolio reflects roughly $655 million in construction costs with just over $240 million in expected MSBA reimbursement.

The PFD requested a council appropriation of $11,100,000 to support the Gardner and Linden window projects. McLaughlin told the committee the loan order requires two readings at least two weeks apart. "Support of this loan order will allow the architect to complete design through 2026, fit the project in plenty of time for summer 2027 construction," he said.

A Boston Public Schools staff member said BPS coordinates school schedules with facilities planning to avoid disrupting programming, noting that "the team that plans the summer schedule first finds out what buildings are available. So they just kind of say, well, the building's gonna be offline. They just work around it." The staff member said BPS and PFD work "hand in hand" to limit space and program impacts.

Councilor Flynn praised PFD staff for their work and indicated support for the request when it comes to a vote. Committee members asked about rising construction costs; Jones said costs have increased substantially since the pre-COVID era, giving an anecdotal comparison: "We would have projects that would come in at $300 per square foot construction cost. . . . Now the cost is $1,100, $1,200 a square foot." He added that bid volatility has lessened and escalation assumptions have been reduced from prior highs (he described escalation previously as high as 8%).

McLaughlin said other ARP projects submitted in 2024 remain at different stages: several were approved by the MSBA board in October and more are expected to be approved in December or early 2026, which will require separate appropriations before the council. He said the Chittick Elementary School application was removed because required code work raised costs beyond what the ARP can accommodate.

No formal committee vote was taken at the hearing. McLaughlin and Jones said the PFD will return to the council for the required two readings when the matter is placed on the calendar; other ARP schools will return separately as MSBA approvals are finalized. With no members of the public signed up to testify, Councilor Worrell adjourned the hearing.

What happened next: The committee took no formal action at the Nov. 6 hearing; PFD staff requested the appropriation and will present the loan order for the required two votes at a later committee meeting.