Accelerated Repair Program Statement of Interest Process Overview

Introduction

The Massachusetts School Building Authority’s (the “MSBA”) grant program is a non-entitlement, competitive program. The grants are distributed by the MSBA Board of Directors based on need and urgency, as expressed by the district and validated by the MSBA. The Core Program is intended for new construction, addition, and/or renovation projects while the Accelerated Repair Program (“ARP”) is intended for roofs, windows/doors, and heat pump conversions in existing school facilities. The MSBA completes an extensive review of available information for all submitted Statement of Interest (“SOI”) for the ARP. 

The MSBA encourages all interested districts to submit an SOI to the MSBA, but the ARP is not appropriate for all potential projects. With each ARP project, the MSBA intends to prolong the longevity of the existing building and improve the environment of the school.

After a temporary, one-year pause to the ARP in 2023, the MSBA Board of Directors voted to reopen the Program in 2024 with an increased estimated budget following the approval of the Commonwealth’s FY 24 Budget, which provides that grant amounts related to the ARP shall not be calculated as part of the MSBA’s Annual Cap limit, as set forth in Section 7 of Chapter 70B of the General Laws. For additional information, please refer to the October 25, 2023 Board of Directors memorandum, which details the recommendations specific to the ARP, located on our website, here .

Commencing in January 2025, the ARP will have a biennial SOI opening (every two years). Districts will file SOIs biennially and staff will review invitations for roofs and windows/doors based on a budget of $300 million (representing two years’ worth of projects) and for heat pump conversion projects based on a budget of $250 million (representing two years’ worth of projects). The MSBA believes that a biennial opening will provide more predictability and flexibility for district officials who are administering facilities improvements in their districts. Furthermore, the MSBA believes that pacing the start dates for invited districts will not only help mitigate the impact of introducing so many projects into the construction market but will also help support districts who may need longer preparatory time than the former iteration of the ARP allowed.

The following information provides an overview of the SOI process from initial opening of the SOI period, which is typically during the month of January, through the Board of Directors vote to authorize invitations to the MSBA’s grant program at a subsequent fall Board meeting; this timeline may vary as needed. The MSBA reviews these dates for the Core Program and ARP annually and may adjust the opening and closing dates as needed. Each year, the SOI opening information is published on the MSBA’s website. In addition, each superintendent receives email communications in advance of the SOI opening, on the day of, and throughout the filing period.

Project Scope

The ARP reopened in 2024 for the partial or full replacement of roofs and windows/doors. With the reopening, the feasibility study for each invited roof project will consider roof replacement as well as roof restoration. Although not the right fit for every school, roof restoration may allow a more economical solution and thereby a more affordable project for some districts. The feasibility study for roof projects will also include an evaluation of how to make the building solar ready. 

To facilitate schools moving toward Massachusetts’ goal for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the MSBA is introducing heat pump conversion projects in 2025. Beginning in June 2024, the MSBA began a study to further understand scope, schedule, and cost factors that could impact the conversion of existing public school facilities to heat pumps for heating and cooling. The report, which will recommend technical and programmatic approaches to inform the MSBA’s grant program to best support heat pump conversion within the ARP, will be complete by summer 2025.

While the report will further guide the direction of the ARP, including heat pump conversion projects, the MSBA will apply the following to SOIs filed for the 2025 Program:

  • If the windows are more than thirty years as of 2026 (installed in or before 1996), then the district cannot file for a heat pump conversion project and instead must file for a window/door project to improve the building envelope ahead of an MSBA-funded heat pump project. Consequently, a heat pump conversion project and a window/door replacement project cannot be paired in a filed SOI. 
  • If the district wishes to file an SOI for a heat pump conversion project and the roof is more than fifteen years as of 2026 (installed in or before 2011), then the district must select both a heat pump conversion project and a roof project when filing the SOI so that the roof is addressed by replacement or restoration in combination with the heat pump project. 
  • The MSBA will require each heat pump conversion project to result in mechanical heating, cooling, and ventilation in all classrooms at minimum. The MSBA will participate in spaces beyond the classrooms as well.

For any invited ARP project in 2025, the MSBA will participate in ADA accessibility upgrades and fire protection upgrades required by code. Furthermore, for invited heat pump conversion projects, the MSBA will participate in electrical system upgrades required to support the heat pump solution. For all ARP projects submitting an SOI for consideration in 2025, construction should be substantially completed no later than summer 2029.

The SOI Filing Period

The MSBA opens its SOI System annually for districts to file one or more SOIs for consideration in the MSBA’s grant program. While the MSBA will continue to open the SOI System annually for consideration in the Core Program, beginning in 2025, the MSBA will open the System for consideration in the ARP biennially. The SOI is the tool districts use to identify the deficiencies and/or programmatic issues that exist in their facilities. Districts should submit one SOI per school for each school that they believe requires a project. An SOI should only be filed for a facility where a district can fund a schematic design within 90 days of invitation and a total project budget within 12 months of invitation. The SOI System will typically open in mid-January and for ARP close in mid-March; however, this timeline is subject to change. 

The number of invitations that the Board authorizes each SOI submission period varies. Should the MSBA be required to limit the number of invitations due to its program budget, the MSBA will re-evaluate the advertised qualifying age criteria. For potential heat pump conversion projects in 2025, the MSBA may also consider other factors including, but not limited to, the number of qualifying heat pump conversion SOIs filed by a district, the reported or estimated Energy Use Intensity (“EUI”) for each school, and/or the reported or estimated greenhouse gas emissions for each school.

The MSBA reviews these advertised qualifying ages for systems as well as the grant budget biennially and may adjust one or both as may be needed, either on a biennial basis or based on the number of SOI submissions received in any given SOI submission period. Similar to the dates for the SOI filing period, the SOI opening information is published on the MSBA’s website each year along with notice provided to all districts via the superintendent. A table illustrating the number of SOIs which have resulted in Project Funding Agreements for the ARP can be found here

Based on the qualifications for the ARP, a district should not file an SOI, regardless of project scope, if:

  • the proposed total project cost is projected as less than $250,000;
  • the school is judged by the district to be over-crowded or underutilized;
  • the district is considering the facility for potential consolidation;
  • the primary use of the building is for non-educational purposes;
  • the school provides for pre-kindergarten students only;
  • a facility condition not identified in the SOI remains unresolved from a previous MSBA SOI review;
  • the district is reviewing facility deficiencies to further identify its needs and priorities; or
  • the district is unable to fund a schematic design within 90 days of invitation and a total project budget within 12 months of invitation.

When considering the potential scope to be selected in an SOI, based on the qualifications for the ARP, a district should not select the identified scope within an SOI, if:
 

Roof (Roof only or Roof and Windows/Doors)

Based on the qualifications for the ARP, a district should not select roof in an SOI if: 

  • the roof is less than twenty years old as of 2026 (installed in or after 2007) unless combined with a heat pump conversion project;

Windows/Doors (Windows/Doors only or Roof and Windows/Doors)

Based on the qualifications for the ARP, a district should not select windows/doors in an SOI if:

  •  the windows are less than thirty years as of 2026 (installed in or after 1997).

Heat Pump Conversion (Heat Pump Conversion only or Roof and Heat Pump Conversion)

Based on the qualifications for the ARP, a district should not select heat pump conversion in an SOI if: 

  • the windows are more than thirty years as of 2026 (installed in or before 1996), 
  • the school was opened or fully renovated including replacement of the HVAC system after 2010;
  • the mechanical heating distribution is supported by steam distribution piping.

Scope Summary

Accounting for roof and window age, the following chart presents the applicability of project scope based on the qualifications for the ARP: 

image

The Program Budget

The Commonwealth irrevocably dedicated a 1% statewide sales tax, known as the School Modernization Trust fund (‘SMART Fund’), to the MSBA’s capital program. The sales tax collection informs the amount of funding which the MSBA can obligate for projects.

Section 36, approved as part of the Commonwealth’s FY 24 Budget, provides that grant amounts related to the MSBA’s ARP shall no longer count against the Annual Cap limit. For 2025, MSBA staff will review invitations for roofs and windows/doors based on a budget of $300 million (representing two years’ worth of projects) and for heat pump conversion projects based on a budget of $250 million (representing two years’ worth of projects). The anticipated budget for future ARP SOI Openings will be informed by sales tax collections and assessed to determine the budget for future Openings.

The SOI Due Diligence Process

The SOI process involves the district filing an electronic version of an SOI and accompanying vote(s) with the MSBA by the established submission deadline. MSBA staff is readily available to address concerns, questions, and issues during the filing period. Once the filing period has closed, MSBA staff commence the due diligence process for all SOIs. This is a four-phase process, which includes:

  1. Review SOI submissions for completeness;
  2. Review SOI submissions and accompanying documents for content;
  3. Conduct staff study visits, if required; and,
  4. Recommend SOIs for invitation into the ARP.

During this process, the MSBA may seek to obtain additional or clarifying information from districts. As the MSBA reviews the entire cohort of SOIs received, it will determine the appropriate level of due diligence that will be required for each SOI and will notify districts of next steps accordingly.

1. Review SOI submission for completeness:

Once the SOI system has closed, MSBA staff review each submission to check that all the required materials have been received. The MSBA works with districts throughout the filing period to ensure that the SOI is complete.

For all SOI submissions, the district needs to provide:

  • An electronic version of the SOI with the required electronic signatures. There are two separate certifications in each SOI where district officials need to sign;
  • An electronic version of the Closed Schools Certification with the required electronic signatures;
  • Any supporting materials required to be submitted electronically with the SOI and/or any supplemental materials districts want to submit with the SOI; and,
  • All required vote documentation must be uploaded in the SOI system in order to submit an SOI and in the prescribed format set forth within the MSBA’s SOI Application System.
    • Cities and Towns must submit the following vote documentation:
      • Vote of the municipal governing body (i.e. City Council/Board of Aldermen/Board of Selectmen/equivalent governing body) authorizing the Superintendent of Schools to submit the SOI (meeting minutes are NOT required).
      • Vote of the School Committee authorizing the Superintendent of Schools to submit the SOI (meeting minutes are NOT required).
  • Regional School Districts must submit the following vote documentation: 
    • Vote of the Regional School Committee authorizing the Superintendent of Schools to submit the SOI (meeting minutes are NOT required).

2. Review each SOI submission and accompanying documents for content:

Once an SOI is determined to be complete, MSBA staff review the information and any additional documents submitted by the district. MSBA staff then compile the data necessary to assess which SOIs filed in that calendar year may qualify for the ARP.

Evaluating the qualifying factors relies on many different data sources. MSBA staff use the SOI, the MSBA project management system, the MSBA’s 2016 School Survey, and information from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (“DESE”). The MSBA may also use the 2025 School Survey, which is currently underway, as an additional data source. Many factors can impact the assessment of an SOI, such as overcrowding or underutilization, building condition, general environment, and program deficiencies. As such, it is important to assemble as much data as possible so that staff may gain a thorough understanding of the issues identified in the SOI. 

An analysis of the qualifying factors produces a group of SOIs for further consideration. Depending on the volume of qualifying SOIs, the MSBA may have to introduce additional or more limiting factors to maintain the biennial ARP budget. Further review of SOIs may or may not require a staff study visit.

3. Conduct Staff Study Visits, if required:

If MSBA staff determine that a staff study visit is needed to complete the due diligence process, MSBA staff, potentially accompanied by a technical consultant, will visit the facility identified in the SOI. The MSBA may conduct staff study visits either virtually, in-person or a combination of virtual and in-person. The MSBA may request the use of alternative technology to complete the visits such as virtual meetings, drones, district-supplied recordings or other means to conduct the visit. Depending upon the method used, the staff study visit may be conducted in two parts, holding the meeting and the facility tour at different times and days.

The staff study visit lasts approximately one hour, or more for potential heat pump conversion projects, and is an opportunity for the MSBA to further understand the issues identified in the district’s SOI. MSBA staff request that the district have someone familiar with the facilities and systems as well as someone familiar with the financial readiness of the district present for the visit. The district is requested to provide a copy of the SOI floor plans (emergency/evacuation plans are sufficient) ahead of the MSBA’s staff study visit.

One component of the staff study visit is a meeting to review the SOI and the MSBA process, discuss the district’s community and financial readiness to proceed with an ARP project and to hear district concerns. The discussion is followed by a tour of the main areas of the school, as well as typical general classrooms and specialty spaces. If the district’s SOI includes the replacement of the roof and/or the conversion to heat pumps, then access to the roof should be provided to MSBA staff.

Dependent upon the number of staff study visits that are required, this phase can take approximately eight to ten weeks in total, with visits typically scheduled from July through September. This timeframe may vary.

4. Recommend SOIs for Invitation into the Accelerated Repair Program:

Once the content review and staff study visits have been completed, MSBA staff once again review the factors, noted above, that can impact the assessment of the SOIs. As stated above, due to the program budget, the MSBA may be constrained to limit the number of ARP projects in a given year. 

MSBA staff then provide their findings to the Chief Executive Officer,Executive Director/Deputy Chief Executive Officer and the MSBA’s Facilities Assessment Subcommittee. Recommendations are then presented to the MSBA Board of Directors and the Board of Directors vote to invite districts into the Eligibility Period.