Brockton officials say high‑school rebuild is feasible but will likely require a debt exclusion; MSBA share uncertain

Project managers and school leaders told the Brockton City Council Finance Committee that a major rebuild or renovation of Brockton High School is moving through the Massachusetts School Building Authority process but will likely require the city to ask taxpayers for new borrowing.

Kevin Sullivan, the project manager for Left Field Project Management, said the team is finishing the feasibility phase and expects to submit a preferred schematic to the MSBA soon. "We're in the feasibility study phase," Sullivan said, adding the team had developed a set of options and would narrow them in the preferred schematic.

Architect Craig Olsen said the work included detailed evaluations of the existing building, hazardous materials, traffic and soils and that cost estimates were being finalized. The team advised that the MSBA reimburses only eligible costs and imposes per‑square‑foot caps that mean the state will not pay the full price of every scope item.

Principal McCaskill framed the project as an equity and educational‑opportunity issue, urging the city to invest in career‑technical and early‑college pathways. "How much are our young people worth in this city?" McCaskill asked during the presentation, and answered, "Emphatically, yes," when pressing for modernized learning facilities.

Finance officers were blunt about funding. Dr. Troy Clarkson, the city’s chief financial officer, told councilors that a major school project "would require a debt exclusion." He said city staff have been modeling options to reduce the tax impact — for example, replacing retiring debt with school debt to limit increases — but that the exact per‑household impact cannot be calculated until the final project cost and the MSBA's eligible share are determined.

Project staff and finance officials gave a preliminary mid‑range cost discussion at the meeting. "We could be anywhere from $750 million to $900 million," Sullivan said as a working range for total project budget in the current refinement stage, and he emphasized that the figure was provisional and subject to MSBA eligibility rules.

The project team noted Brockton’s base MSBA reimbursement rate (around 79.58 percent) is only a starting point; actual MSBA support depends on which costs are eligible and whether the district earns incentive points, so the effective state contribution could be substantially lower. Presenters estimated effective MSBA-funded portions could end up nearer to 50–60 percent once eligibility limits and caps are applied.

Councilors pressed for transparency in outreach and funding messaging. Several members said voters attending community forums should be told upfront that a taxpayer vote — for example a debt exclusion — is likely to be required. Sullivan and Clarkson said staff would return with clearer financing scenarios and tax‑impact numbers once the project team finalizes cost estimates and receives the MSBA's preliminary eligibility determination in the fall.

Next steps: presenters said the School Building Committee will vote on a preferred schematic and submit it to the MSBA. The Finance Committee requested the project team and finance staff return in May with updated cost figures and a clearer financing timeline so the council and the public can better assess the potential tax impact and funding options.