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Brockton project team names addition‑and‑renovation Option 2B as preferred plan for high school
Summary
Project leaders announced Option 2B — an addition-plus‑renovation that preserves Brockton High School’s four‑house structure and key athletic/arts facilities — as the preferred schematic; high‑level cost ranges put total project estimates near $800 million with a district share estimated in the $360–$370 million range.
Principal Kevin McCaskill announced at a community forum that the school‑building working group has chosen Option 2B, an addition‑and‑renovation model that preserves the school’s four‑house organization and keeps the existing performing‑arts and athletic buildings, as the preferred plan for Brockton High School.
The decision: why it matters Kevin McCaskill, principal of Brockton High School, said Option 2B ‘‘rose to the top on its merit’’ because it keeps important traditions and provides space to expand career and technical education (CTE) offerings. He added the model was selected unanimously by the working group and framed the choice as balancing educational goals and fiscal responsibility.
What the plan would do Craig Olsen, an architect and educational planner with KBA Architects, described Option 2B as an approach that wraps new academic houses around renovated core facilities — retaining the existing auditorium, gym and pool while adding new academic wings, a permanent district kitchen and updated site circulation. The team emphasized phasing designed to reduce disruption to students, with early work focused on replacing the district kitchen and subsequent phases building the new houses and renovating existing buildings.
Cost and reimbursement, in context The project team presented high‑level cost ranges rather than final numbers. Olsen gave an estimated total project cost for Option 2B in the neighborhood of $800 million to $810 million and said the district’s estimated share could be roughly $360 million to $370 million. The presenters reiterated that the MSBA (Massachusetts School Building Authority) has a base reimbursement rate that can be near 80% for eligible costs but that the effective reimbursement rate will be lower once ineligible costs and program caps are applied; the team said they currently expect an effective rate in the 50–60% range but will not have final figures until late fall or early winter when MSBA determines grant specifics.
Program and facilities tradeoffs Olsen noted MSBA rules limit reimbursement for some items — for example, MSBA typically caps auditorium reimbursement at a smaller size (citing a 750‑seat baseline used in example scenarios) and does not fund a brand‑new pool as part of new construction; a pool can only be part of a project if it is renovated. Those constraints helped drive the decision to reuse and renovate the existing performing arts and athletic structures rather than replace them outright.
Community reaction and education goals Several residents and educators expressed support for the plan at the forum. Jim Slade, a long‑time teacher, urged the community to ‘‘seize this opportunity’’ and said the project could produce a transformational high school for Brockton students. Other speakers praised the focus on expanding CTE offerings — the district aims to grow beyond its five current Chapter 74 programs to add electrical and multimedia broadcasting immediately and to build further CTE pathways in fields such as HVAC and robotics in the new facility.
Next steps and timing Project leaders said they plan to bring the preferred option to the School Building Committee this Thursday and submit the preferred schematic to the MSBA at the end of the week. The team said it hopes for MSBA board approval in June and a project funding agreement by December 2026; final grant amounts and the district’s borrowing requirement will be clearer by November–December after MSBA completes its review. If MSBA and local authorizations proceed, the project would later require a local debt‑exclusion ballot authorizing borrowing for the district’s share.
What remains unresolved The presenters emphasized that cost figures are estimates and subject to change; they said further design work, MSBA review and a mid‑May stakeholder funding meeting (involving MSBA and the Department of Revenue) will refine the budget and the district’s share. The team committed to follow‑up community forums and publicly posted school‑building‑committee meetings for additional detail.