The Milford High School Building Committee voted unanimously on Oct. 21 to submit a Preferred Schematic Report (PSR) to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) advancing consideration of a proposal to renovate and expand the high school at an estimated total cost of $527 million.

The vote authorizes submission of the preferred design for state review, not construction or local spending. The latest preliminary pricing table does not establish what Milford residents would ultimately be asked to fund.

Committee members selected Option 3.2 on Oct. 14. The proposal calls for approximately 353,460 square feet of new construction and 95,475 square feet of renovations, including preservation of the existing gymnasium and swimming pool in the F-wing. The design accommodates 1,675 students in grades 9-12.

A preliminary pricing table provided by project architects on Oct. 21 lists approximately $437.4 million in construction costs and $527 million in total project costs. Officials have stressed that state reimbursement applies only to eligible expenses, rather than the entire price tag. According to figures shown in a slideshow presentation, there is a base reimbursement rate of 72.54 percent.

Design representatives told committee members that retaining the pool could add roughly $5 million to $6 million in net costs after accounting for demolition expenses that would be avoided. Some support spaces for the Shining Star preschool program would also be ineligible for reimbursement, according to the study.

The cost of expanded Chapter 74 career and technical education (CTE) emerged as another point of discussion Oct. 21. Committee members requested a comparison between the preferred design and a conventional high school offering a liberal arts education without Chapter 74 programs. Those figures should be available for review in time for their next meeting.

At an Oct. 6 community forum, Milford High School Principal Joshua Otlin described vocational education as a priority for graduates entering the workforce. According to figures presented by Otlin, 142 of the 293 graduates in 2025 did not enroll in college.

“Our inability to provide high-quality career and technical education is our most pressing need,” Otlin said.

During the forum, officials described substantial problems with the current building, which opened in 1973. A district presentation identified 40 of 47 general classrooms as smaller than MSBA standards, undersized science laboratories, aging building systems, and accessibility barriers.

During the forum, residents questioned affordability, student enrollment, traffic, and preservation of the pool. 

Milford resident, Linda Lucas, acknowledged the need for improvements but raised concerns about the cost. “Folks' pocketbooks right now are pretty tight,” she said.

Milford High School Building Committee Chairman Jonathan Bruce told attendees that “doing nothing is not an option.”

The project schedule calls for submission of a more detailed schematic design in June 2027, with local funding decisions anticipated later that year. A borrowing authorization would require a two-thirds Town Meeting vote. The latest schedule projects substantial completion in two phases, in 2031 and 2032.

What are “Chapter 74” programs? 

Massachusetts Chapter 74 programs are state approved vocational technical education programs offered in about 90 schools statewide, covering more than 40 career areas such as Advanced Manufacturing, Culinary Arts, Health Assisting, HVAC/R, and Programming & Web Development.

Source: https://mava.us/about-chapter-74/ 

To watch a recording of the Oct. 21 meeting, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCG-1sAkmcs .