9/14 School Building Committee (SBC) Meeting Recap

• ELCAT Recording of the 9/14 SBC Meeting
• Recent approvals:
  • 8/10 SBC Meeting: The SBC approved the total project budget of $177.5M, including construction costs, technology and furniture, and owner and project manager contingencies.  
  • 8/24 SBC Meeting: The SBC approved submission of the the Schematic Design (SD) package. 
• Next steps for the project:  
  • MSBA Board will review the project before entering into a Project Scope and Budget Agreement with the East Longmeadow School District. This Agreement will set the funding cap for the MSBA. 
  • On November 7th, 2023, a town-wide debt exclusion vote will be held to appropriate the full project cost. 
    • If approved by the voters, the project will begin the Detailed Design phase, with construction tentatively scheduled to begin in the Summer of 2024 and the New HS to open in Fall of 2026. 
    • If the voters reject the project at the 11/7 Special Election and the community does not see a way to approve the proposed new school project, then the school will remain as is. The District could re-apply for a new core MSBA project or undertake renovations without State financial assistance. After a failed debt exclusion vote, it can take 5 to 7 years to be re-accepted.
• Other topics discussed: 
  • The SBC will begin the the process of qualifying Construction Manager at Risk Firms for the project. The SBC created a Construction Manager at Risk Procurement Subcommittee who will review the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) documents. 
  • The SBC reviewed materials for the upcoming 9/21 and 10/19 Community Forums and discussed community outreach.