AN ARTIST’S RENDERING of the planned new Wakefield Memorial High School viewed from Farm Street. The new school would be built on the current site of the Shaun F. Beasley Track & Field. The track and field would be re-built where the old high school currently sits.
By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD – Tonight Wakefield residents will have an opportunity to weigh in at a public forum on the cost of the proposed new Wakefield Memorial High School.
The Permanent Building Committee will host a virtual Community Forum tonight starting at 7 p.m. to discuss the latest estimated cost for the new Wakefield Memorial High School. Public Forum #9 will be held via Zoom only and will also review design progress.
Residents may participate the meeting via Zoom at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86719796703. The Meeting ID is 867 1979 6703. There is also an option to dial in and listen to the meeting via phone at (312) 626 6799 using Meeting ID: 867 1979 6703.
Residents can also watch the presentation live on Wakefield Community Access TV and on WCAT’s Facebook page.
The latest cost estimates now put the cost of the new school at more than $273 million, a $53 million (nearly 20 percent) increase from an earlier $220 million estimate released last spring.
With the new, higher price tag, the average single-family homeowner would see his taxes increase by $1,384 a year – or about $115 – a month for the next 30 years.
Inflation, escalating construction costs and supply chain issues have been blamed for the higher cost estimate.
Tonight’s forum will discuss all aspects of the cost and funding, including the breakdown of how the cost will be shared between the town and the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Based on the latest cost estimates the MSBA would reimburse the town for $60,046,980 (about 22 percent) of the total $273 million cost.
In December 2020, the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) invited Wakefield to collaborate in conducting a Feasibility Study for a potential new construction project to renovate or rebuild the Wakefield Memorial High School.
On Thursday of this week, the Permanent Building Committee is scheduled to vote on submitting the final schematic design for the project to the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The MSBA Board is expected to vote on the project at its Dec. 21 meeting.
Assuming MSBA approval in December, a Special Town Meeting would be held in January to vote on the funding. If Town Meeting approves the funding, a Special Election would follow (likely in March) where local voters would be asked to vote for or against authorizing the project.
