MA Spending Bill Sends $1.3 Million To Stoneham HS Building Project

STONEHAM, MA — Stoneham’s new high school building project got a boost last week in the form of $1.3 million in extra funding through a state economic development spending bill.

Though cost concerns continue amid rising inflation and supply chain challenges, the legislation does mark a major influx of money a matter of weeks after Stoneham state lawmakers told local officials they were fighting for help at the state level.

State Sen. Jason Lewis touted “good news” earlier this month after legislators first finalized the bill to be sent to Gov. Charlie Baker for review.

State Rep. Michael Day separately thanked legislative colleagues for keeping Stoneham High School money in the bill to address what he described as the current economy’s “disproportionate” impacts on the high school project.

“We will continue to work with our colleagues in both the House and the Senate to provide assistance to our community on this and other improvements,” Day said.

SEE ALSO: Stoneham Considers Trimming High School Project Plans As Costs Mount

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Stoneham officials envisioned a roughly $190 million high school project in estimates last summer. A $49.9 million grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority covered some of that cost, leaving Stoneham on the hook for $139.7 million.

Crews broke ground on construction for the new high school this year ahead of a planned opening in 2024. Economic strains soon began looming over now ongoing high school work, though.

In September, officials said they were considering cutting back planned elements of the project to manage costs. A month later, the Stoneham School Building Committee said it would likely need to seek additional money from Town Meeting to complete the project.

The committee heard from legislators in late October, discussing options for the state to help.

The state economic development bill was among options on the table, combining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars with state surplus revenues to send close to $3.8 billion into Massachusetts communities for a wide array of projects.

Legislators hashed out their agreement in recent weeks after months of talks. Baker expressed frustrations over decisions to cut envisioned tax relief and stimulus payments from the bill, though he signed the majority of bill into law on Thursday of last week.

The now finalized legislation breaks Stoneham High School project aid into three portions as follows:

• $500,000 for planning, building and construction costs associated with the high school construction project.
• $500,000 for the planning, design and construction of administrative offices for the Stoneham Public Schools.
• $300,000 for costs associated with the design and construction of an outdoor amphitheater on the grounds of Stoneham High School.

Outside of local earmarks, the now finalized spending legislation also marked millions for projects ranging from MBTA safety and service upgrades to energy assistance and affordable housing.

Locally, the door might not be closed for still more state funding. Beyond the spending bill, Lewis added in conversations with town officials last month that he and Day were also exploring other additional potential options for funding, including money drawn from ARPA and an increased Massachusetts School Building Authority contribution.

Though in line for new state money, officials said after their meeting with legislators that they were also still expecting to seek more local money for the high school at Town Meeting.

Town Meeting is set for Jan. 11.