The MSBA Invites Fairhaven to Participate in the Model School Program

The Massachusetts School Building Authority Announces that Fairhaven is Advancing to Schematic Design

The MSBA has Invited Fairhaven to Participate in the Model School Program

BOSTON, MA – The Town of Fairhaven has been invited into the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s (“MSBA”) Model School Program by the Board of Directors of the MSBA. The Town of Fairhaven completed its due diligence and determined that a new school is the best solution to address their educational and facility needs, and now the Town of Fairhaven will work in collaboration with the MSBA to produce detailed renderings of the potential project -- a new model school on the site of the existing Leroy L. Wood School. The new school will replace the existing Wood School and Rogers Elementary School.

The MSBA’s Model School 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.

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

“The project that the MSBA is voting on today is the project for which the citizens of Fairhaven have expressed clear preference through their Town Meeting vote,” stated Katherine Craven, Executive Director of the MSBA. “The MSBA is committed to moving forward with Fairhaven to create a modern, efficient and affordable learning environment for their children."

The MSBA strives to find the right-sized, most fiscally responsible, and educationally appropriate solutions to create safe and sound learning environments. It is committed to protecting taxpayers’ dollars by improving the school building grant process and avoiding the costly mistakes of the past in the funding and construction of schools. The MSBA reformed the Commonwealth’s formerly rampant and unsustainable school building program, which was more than $11 billion in debt.

Since its inception in 2004, the Authority has made $7.6 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.