By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — Residents weighed in on the cost of the proposed new Wakefield Memorial High School last week, with several voicing serious concerns about the cost and tax impact of the project. The comments came at a virtual community forum held online via Zoom by the Permanent Building Committee.
The town is seeking to build a new high school with financial assistance from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).
Based on recent new estimates, the cost of building the proposed new high school has jumped to $273.7 million, a nearly 20 percent increase over earlier estimates of about $220 million released last spring. Soaring construction costs have been blamed for much of that cost increase, along with an MSBA reimbursement formula that has not kept up with inflation. Other cost factors are the inclusion of building features that exceed or fall entirely outside of MSBA eligibility guidelines.
The MSBA advertised reimbursement rate of about 50 percent of eligible costs in reality comes out to about 22 percent of the total cost for the proposed high school project. Of the 273.7 million total cost, only $113 million is eligible for 53 percent reimbursement under MSBA guidelines. The remaining costs would fall entirely on the town’s taxpayers.
With the new, higher price tag, the average single-family homeowner would see his taxes increase by $1,384 a year, or about $115 a month.
Resident Dan Calore of Wave Avenue asked how the decision was made to go with a design that exceeds the MSBA guidelines to a degree where the town is receiving only 22 percent reimbursement of the total project cost. He suggested that the wish list for the project seemed “out-of-control.”
Permanent Building Committee Chairman Joseph Bertrand explained that the design was based on the educational program provided by the school administration. He said that no community that builds a new school adheres strictly to MSBA eligibility guidelines.
Lynn Stapleton of Owner’s Project manager LeftField blamed the MSBA’s cap on construction costs, which means only about half of the per-square-foot construction cost is reimbursed.
But Calore asked why it was necessary to go more than 100 percent over what the MSBA considers eligible costs.
“This seems to be excessive by a major factor,” he said.
Resident Jim Sullivan wanted to know how the MSBA reimbursement rate of 22 percent of total costs compared to what other communities were getting.
Stapleton said that other school districts have also been getting about half of the advertised 50 percent reimbursement rate.
Salem Street resident Rick Stewart called the cost numbers “shocking” and “not sustainable.” He warned that the high cost placed the whole project at risk of being voted down by residents. He questioned several elements of the project design, including the reconfiguration of Hemlock Road, which he called unnecessary since the Northeast Metro Tech will be moving its access road further up Farm Street.
Peter Tringali of Wicker Lane also had concerns about the cost of the proposed new high school.
“When I see the cost, it doesn’t pass the smell test for me,” he said. “You’re asking for too much and I don’t think you’ll be successful in your vote. I’d rather go with a renovation at this point. Be creative. I don’t know how you think you’re going to get the town folk on board with this.”
Bertrand reiterated that the square footage cost of construction “has gone wild,” calling it “very excessive.”
Mike Pearlman of King Street wondered how the project could be sold to people who believe the new school is necessary but are shocked by the cost.
Andy Bray of Highland Avenue is an officer of “Yes for WMHS,” an advocacy group set up to support building a new high school. He insisted that the proposed new school is “exactly what Wakefield needs.” Costs will not be going down, he added.
“There are lots of hard choices in life,” Bray said. “This is one of them.”
Felix Freeman recalled attending school in the current high school building back when it served as a junior high school. He claimed that the town has “let that building fall apart.” He also had concerns about the cost of building a new high school, stating that he didn’t want to be “taxed out of Wakefield.”