Capital planning subcommittee advances MSBA statement of interest as feasibility cost rises toward $1–1.3M

The Blackstone‑Millville Capital Planning Subcommittee on March 30 reviewed plans to submit a Statement of Interest (SOI) to the Massachusetts School Building Authority and debated outreach and financing steps as staff said a feasibility study estimate has risen.

Assistant Superintendent Matt Ehrenworth told the panel the team intends to submit the SOI before the April break and warned that “there’s specific language that needs to be in the vote for the statement of interest,” meaning the committee may need to reconvene to record formal vote documentation the MSBA requires. Ehrenworth also said the estimated cost of a feasibility study has increased: “we originally were saying that it was gonna be in the 800,000 range, and now I think we’re looking at probably a 1 to 1,300,000.”

Why it matters: the SOI is the first step in a multi‑year MSBA pipeline that can make a major portion of construction and design work reimbursable; timing, wording of votes and clear public materials affect eligibility and voter understanding of the district’s next financial steps.

Committee members discussed how recent site visits to a newly built Middleborough school informed their planning, noting design features such as flexible commons areas, dual science labs with a shared prep room and extensive fiber‑optic infrastructure that support modern instructional models. Scott Heba, interim director of facilities, described the district’s facilities assessment and capital improvement study that established a baseline for renovation needs and earlier cost work that informed the SOI.

The meeting focused heavily on public outreach: members agreed to develop a concise one‑pager and slide packet for distribution, organize tours and open houses so residents can see existing conditions, prepare video/3‑D tours for those who cannot attend, and consider distributing materials at community events and voting sites. The group identified May 9 (Millville’s town meeting) as a target for outreach and suggested a plan to hold building tours at times when parents and residents are likely to attend.

On funding, the committee discussed MSBA reimbursement. Ehrenworth and members said the program’s base reimbursement is roughly half of eligible costs, with program incentives that can increase that share in some cases. They emphasized the need to show maintenance plans and other elements MSBA considers when calculating reimbursement.

Committee members also opened discussion about a possible capital stabilization fund to set aside district money for smaller capital repairs and to reduce future borrowing; members asked staff to report back on legal constraints, thresholds for eligible uses and whether year‑end balances could be transferred to such an account.

Action items assigned at the meeting included finalizing the one‑pager and slides, creating a shared contact spreadsheet for outreach (to town clerks, parks & rec, civic groups and volunteers), getting MSBA language on vote documentation and stabilization accounts, and scheduling tours and public events. The committee set its next meeting for April 27 at 5:30 p.m. and noted the committee will follow up if an additional meeting is required before the SOI filing.

The committee adjourned after approving the minutes from March 3 and February 9.