Design options expected to be finalized in June

By Theresa Knapp

The Milford High School Building Committee has selected HMFH Architects as the design firm for the town’s high school project, marking a key step forward in the planning process.

At its March 18 meeting, the committee heard an update from project architect Stephanie MacNeil, who outlined ongoing efforts to assess the school’s current layout and future needs. The design team has been conducting site visits, meeting with teachers and department heads, and touring comparable schools, including facilities in Attleboro, Weymouth, and the Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School. 

“These early months are focused on gathering existing conditions data and understanding how the school operates,” MacNeil said, noting the goal is to align educational programming with building design.

The project remains in its early planning stages and HMFH is expected to present its final report at the committee’s meeting on June 16. 

MacNeil said February through June is dedicated to research, visioning, and developing potential design options. By May, the committee will review a range of configurations, including new construction, renovation, or a combination of both, which will guide the architects’ final recommendations. 

One major decision still under consideration is grade configuration. 

Committee chair Jonathan Bruce said, “The original statement of interest was for either a [grades] 9 through 12 or an 8 through 12; then we asked about the possibility of looking at a 7 through 12 school, and because we asked the question during eligibility, that’s now baked in as far as looking at it - it doesn’t mean we can or should or would build it but we are committed to looking at it from a global perspective. At the end of the day, it’s probably good information to have…Whether we do it or not is a whole different discussion for a different time.” 

The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) requires the committee to narrow the options to three by early June. From there, a final preferred plan will be selected and submitted for approval later that month.

Bruce said, “At the end of the day it’s going to be up to the school department and the building committee to present on town meeting floor why this makes sense. We’re going to be the ones closest to the ground on it, that understand what the options are: whether it’s new school, demo, add/reno, reno, 8-12, 7-12 – don’t forget, there’s still PreK here - what are we going to do with Admin. Our job is to filter that down into something that’s digestible in an hour presentation to Town Meeting.” 

Current projections target a school opening in September 2031, though committee members expressed interest in completing the project sooner if possible. “The sooner the better,” said Bruce. 

The full meeting is available for viewing on Milford TV. 

Project documents and information can be found at https://www.milfordpublicschools.com/about/mhs-school-building-project.