Weston school board weighs $4.2 million capital request after state grant shift delays North House HVAC

Weston school board members discussed a revised $4.2 million capital request on Tuesday and set a timeline to present referendum language and an implementation schedule after a change in state grant administration paused reimbursement for a planned North House HVAC replacement.

The board heard a line-by-line recap from staff and facilities personnel, who said they had reprioritized items to reflect safety needs and equipment failures. Superintendent Phil Cross told the board the North House HVAC project—a multi-year plan that had initially been estimated at about $2.4 million—must be paused because the IAQ grant the district planned to use has been moved to the state Department of Administrative Services and will now follow a non-priority school-construction process. That change means the district cannot rely on the previously expected reimbursement timing and must present the local share to voters in a referendum.

Why it matters: the state's reimbursement rate for general school construction is 22.14 percent, Cross said, and after accounting for an estimated 2 percent of ineligible costs the district expects about $488,000 in reimbursement. Cross told the board that produces an estimated local share of roughly $1.9 million for the North House HVAC work. The reassignment of the grant and the resulting timing constraints mean the project is likely to be delayed about a year, with staff estimating a potential June 2027 start instead of June 2026.

Staff prioritized the radio upgrade and infrastructure alignment with town systems as the top near-term item, followed by paving and storm-drain work at drop-off loops, turf replacement, energy-efficiency and HVAC controller upgrades, central-office HVAC work, boiler replacement in the South House, duct cleaning rotation, classroom furniture updates and unified clock/PA systems, purchase of an aerial lift for maintenance, exterior lighting and elementary-school roof work. Facilities staff said some high-priority items are already showing signs of imminent failure and that early approval accelerates procurement on long lead-time equipment.

Board discussion focused on process and communication. Members asked staff to produce a concise process document that lays out the sequence of required approvals (a Board of Education resolution, Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance actions, and the town referendum) and to attach deadlines so the board can present the North House local share as a separate referendum line item if that will make the ballot clearer to voters. Phil Cross agreed to deliver an implementation timeline, a multi-year capital-improvement plan and comparative capital-spending data from peer districts by the next meeting.

Several board members pressed for transparency and argued the full scale of capital needs should remain visible to the public rather than repeatedly deferring large projects. "By voting no, it's gonna cost the town 20% more" if the referendum fails, board member David said, referring to the loss of the reimbursement; Cross confirmed that the town could still fund the work but without the state reimbursement. Others urged the board to consider partial funding strategies for large roof or deferred projects so the district can show voters the plan without creating a single year's spike in capital asks.

The board did not take a final vote on the capital budget at this meeting; an operating-budget vote is scheduled for the next evening and staff will return the capital documents and process timeline at the board's upcoming meeting. The chair moved to adjourn; Lisa seconded and members voiced approval.

Sources: remarks and numbers presented by Superintendent Phil Cross and facilities staff during the board meeting.