Holyoke takes next step toward building new middle school

HOLYOKE — Holyoke is a step closer to building a new middle school.

At its March 23 meeting, the School Committee voted to move forward with a statement of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority for a core project that would replace the H.B. Lawrence Elementary School with the new school.

The Holyoke City Council and School Committee Subcommittee hosted a joint committee meeting on March 12 to discuss a path toward a new middle school, at which it voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council, by April 17, authorize the city to enter into the MSBA process.

Less than a week later, the City Council officially authorized a statement of interest at its March 17 meeting with very little discussion, six days before the School Committee did so.

The decisions do not require any funding right now; they simply put Holyoke in line for MSBA for a new middle school project. The city will not know whether it is accepted into the program until January 2027, but they want to get the ball rolling.

By submitting this statement of interest form, this also does not guarantee that Holyoke will be accepted into the MSBA program or awarded a grant or any other funding commitment from the building authority.

The statement of interest explains the city’s reasoning for the replacement of or addition to obsolete buildings. It also provides a full range of programs consistent with state and approved local requirements.

Background information in the motion stated that built in 1930, Lawrence School, located at 156 Cabot St., is one of the district’s oldest buildings and doesn’t meet the school’s educational needs due to undersized classrooms, an undersized gymnasium, a lack of a media center, and insufficient space for students with disabilities and students who are English learners.

It also states that the school has outdated building systems, including failing plumbing, failing heat, no air conditioning, limited ventilation, and an absence of accessible public bathrooms, interior doorways, exterior entrances and exits.

The project is financially feasible due to the recently completed Dr. William R. Peck School, which came in significantly under budget. The statement of interest requires approval from the City Council and School Committee. The earliest the new or renovated school can be completed is 2033. The city states that the original goal “was to have a new middle school for every Holyoke student.”

According to the statement of interest memo from Mayor Joshua Garcia, some elementary schools would not be impacted at all if H.B. Lawrence were transformed into a middle school. However, Lawrence students would need to go to a different school if the site is repurposed. Additionally, the city would need to redraw boundaries to shift Sullivan Middle School to elementary use.

The memo states that the city chose to pursue a Lawrence proposal because Sullivan is still in good shape and was originally intended to be an elementary school in the first place. The city says that improvements have been made to Sullivan over the past decade.

If the statement of interest was not submitted to MSBA by April 17, the city must wait another year to apply.

The total estimated project cost is $103 million, including construction, design and other consultant fees, furniture, equipment, technology, and construction and project contingency. As stated in the letter from Garcia and interim Superintendent Anthony Soto, if current assumptions on reimbursement hold steady, $47 million is the estimate of Holyoke’s share, and $56 million is the estimate of the state’s share.

If the city applies similar estimates to what was used for bonding and debt service for the current Peck Middle School, the city would have to pay about $3.25 million annually for 30 years, at a 5.5% interest rate. The district would like to offset that cost by $500,000 annually, so the city’s amount would be $2.75 million annually.

All the above costs are estimates with many assumptions. The most significant variables are the cost of construction and MSBA’s effective reimbursement rate. Firmer numbers will be unveiled if the statement of interest is accepted and Holyoke enters the eligibility period.
According to the statement of interest, the city can exit the MSBA process and shift its focus if they so desire.

The MSBA partners with Massachusetts communities to support the design and construction of educationally-appropriate, flexible, sustainable and cost-effective public-school facilities, while also partially reimbursing the project. Since its 2004 inception, MSBA has approved over 1,200 projects and has made over $18.6 billion in reimbursements for school construction projects across the commonwealth.