Facilities Management Director John Kerrigan and Springfield Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Patrick Roach present statement of interest forms for 12 Springfield Public Schools projects.
Photo Credit: Focus Springfield
SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield School Committee agreed to submit statement of interests forms to the Massachusetts School Building Authority for three new school projects and nine school renovation projects.
According to the MSBA website, SOI forms are submitted by cities, towns and regional school districts who are seeking funding from MSBA for a proposed school building project. It is the first step in the process to notify MSBA of a district’s interest in the program.
The committee approved SOI submissions to MSBA for three new school projects, otherwise known as “core program” projects: Washington Elementary School, Alice Beal Elementary School and Kensington International School.
John Kerrigan, the Facilities Management director for the city, said the city already moved into the next MSBA phase for Kensington school last year, but per procedure, the city must submit another SOI for the site because they want the school to be a co-location with White Street Elementary School.
“Although we were invited last year into the next phase of MSBA for the Kensington School, it’s a procedural matter that we submit for that site as a co-location with White Street,” said Kerrigan, who added that Alice Beal application also includes the possibility of a co-location.
The School Committee also approved SOIs through MSBA’s “accelerated repair program,” including roof projects at Van Sickle Middle School Academy, Boland Elementary School, Hiram Dorman Elementary and Daniel Brunton Elementary School, as well as heat pump conversion projects in Mary Lynch Elementary School, Arthur Talmadge Elementary School, South End Middle School, Alfred Zanetti Elementary and Liberty School.
To meet the requirements set forth by MSBA, roofs in need of replacement need to be at least 20 years old as of 2026 unless combined with a heat pump conversion project, according to the qualifications for the Accelerated Repair Program. Other requirements include ensuring the cost of the project was more than $250,000, that the buildings served an educational purpose and that the school department could financially support the project.
A school is eligible for the heat pump program, which Kerrigan said was introduced by MSBA this year, if its windows are less than 30 years old; if the school was opened or fully renovated, including replacement of the HVAC system, before 2010; and if the school’s mechanical heating distribution is not supported by steam distribution piping.
Kerrigan said that all nine of the accelerated program projects presented to the committee qualify under these MSBA requirements.
He added that districts across the commonwealth also have the option of submitting applications to the MSBA for windows and/or doors projects, but none of Springfield’s schools met eligibility requirements to qualify.
“We do not presently have any sites that meet the core requirements [for windows/doors],” Kerrigan said. “We’re in such good shape, we’re not able to meet [MSBA] eligibility [requirements] this year.”
Following submission, SOIs are reviewed and MSBA staff visits may occur to further gain information about whether the projects qualify, the organization stated. Once this is complete, the MSBA will decide whether to recommend the department’s SOIs for its respective program. If improved, the Springfield Public Schools’ 12 school projects would join the more than 50 projects the school department previously completed through MSBA programs.
During the School Committee meeting on March 13, Mayor Domenic Sarno said there has been a total investment of over $1 billion into building new schools and renovating existing schools in the city, the most in the commonwealth.
Springfield Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Patrick Roach added that Springfield brings in the most MSBA funding out of any district across the state.
