MSBA Announces $68 Million Approval for a New West Springfield High School

BOSTON, MA – State Treasurer Steven Grossman, Chairman of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (“MSBA”), and Katherine Craven, MSBA Executive Director, today announced that the MSBA Board approved funding for a new West Springfield High School to be built through the Model School Program. The next step in the process is for the Town of West Springfield and the MSBA to enter into a Project Funding Agreement which will detail the project’s scope and budget and set forth the terms and conditions under which the town will receive its grant from the MSBA.

The MSBA’s Model Schools Program effectively adapts and re-uses design elements from successful, recently constructed schools; simplifying the design process, reducing the amount of time projects are in the design phase and lowering design fees. Using elements of a previously designed Model School allows projects to begin construction faster and reduces construction costs for the project. At least a year of design work can be saved by using a Model School.

West Springfield is using design elements from Hudson High School. The total budget for the high school project is $93 million with the MSBA funding 80% of eligible project costs for a total MSBA grant of $68 million. The new 257,525 square foot school will serve 1,270 students.

“Our Model School Program has saved communities across the Commonwealth valuable time and money. I am pleased that West Springfield’s needs are a good fit for this program and that they can take advantage of this potential savings while providing the students of West Springfield High School with a modern learning environment that fully supports the district’s educational plan,” said State Treasurer Steven Grossman.

“The Model School approach allows communities, like West Springfield, to move forward in a fiscally responsible manner that benefits taxpayers, administrators, teachers and students,” said Katherine Craven, Executive Director of the MSBA.

The MSBA strives to find the right-sized, most fiscally responsible and educationally appropriate solutions to create safe and sound learning environments. In its six year history, the MSBA has made more $7.5 billion in reimbursements to cities, towns and regional school districts for school construction projects. These timely payments have saved municipalities over $2.9 billion in avoided local interest costs and have provided much needed cash flow to communities in these difficult economic times.