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Committee reviews draft 10-year CIP and flags possible FY27 new-school project; MSBA meeting planned
Summary
The Dartmouth School Committee reviewed a draft FY26–FY35 capital improvement plan that includes a new or renovated school in FY27 and discussed next steps with the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which the district said could fund roughly half of an eligible project. Security upgrades were noted and will be discussed in executive session.
The Dartmouth School Committee on Jan. 6 reviewed a draft FY26–FY35 Capital Improvement Plan that lists technology replacement, fire-alarm work, security upgrades, a potential DHS track project, roof replacement, asbestos flooring work, HVAC repairs, playground modernizations, bus replacement and a proposed new or renovated school in FY27.
Assistant Superintendent James Kiely described the plan as a first 10-year roadmap and said he, Superintendent Dr. Saba-Maguire and Facilities Manager John Bernat have a meeting scheduled with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). Kiely told the committee that he has alerted the MSBA to the district’s interest in submitting a Statement of Interest and said that, "if we are awarded the 'project,' MSBA will pay approximately 50% of the cost." The committee was advised that construction-phase funding would be addressed through the town capital-planning process and future town meetings.
Kiely said the district’s FY26 CIP requests will proceed through the local capital-improvement process with the goal of moving items to the June and fall town meetings as appropriate. He also said security-upgrade details were intentionally left vague in open session and requested to be discussed in executive session for security reasons.
Why it matters: the inclusion of a potential new or renovated school in FY27 signals a sizable capital request that could require multi-year planning, town approval, and possible MSBA participation. The district plans to present firm construction estimates after completing design work and MSBA review.
