In May 2024, the Massachusetts School Building Authority (the “MSBA”) promulgated changes to our Regulations to:
- accurately reflect how the MSBA’s grant process has evolved,
- provide clarity and make the Regulations more user friendly,
- make the Regulations easier to follow by arranging the sections in chronological order and matching the MSBA modules, and
- provide a starting point for future MSBA programmatic changes and updates as the landscape of school construction continues to change.
Overview of Key Revisions to the Regulations:
The regulations will now proceed from Module 1 through Module 9 as projects do, making it easier for districts and external stakeholders to understand the process.
In addition to arranging the regulations into chronological order based on the MSBA’s modules, the MSBA added stand-alone sections such as: Accelerated Repair Program (ARP); Construction (Module 7); Post Occupancy Evaluation (Module 9); and Model School Program.
The MSBA made changes to the regulations to allow for the regulations to stay current year after year by eliminating refences to outside standards and codes that periodically change.
The MSBA clarified terminology used in the regulations and made technical changes to better capture our process and provide increased clarity for stakeholders.
The MSBA updated the Statement of Interest section of the regulations to match the process that the MSBA follows for the Statement of Interest submission period.
The MSBA updated the incentive points portion of the regulations, removing Construction Manager at Risk and Model School incentive references from this section because the MSBA no longer provides these incentive points.
The MSBA updated the Green School Program incentive to allow for three incentive points and also included an additional point for Indoor Air Quality.
The MSBA added greater details about the grant program, where appropriate, such as the addition of the educational profile questionnaire that is required during Eligibility Period.
