The Milton School Building Committee is pivoting toward a potential new campus solution to solve the town’s persistent school overcrowding issues. During its Monday evening session, the committee moved unanimously to hire an architectural designer to evaluate the Laboure College site, a move that could provide a ready-made alternative to building on existing green space.

The Laboure College campus, which is slated to hit the market at the end of August, features three buildings that could serve various district needs. Committee Chair Sean reported on a recent tour of the facility, noting that Building C is the main classroom building with about eight classrooms on three levels. Superintendent John Falen highlighted the strategic value of the acquisition, explaining that the School Committee's charge is to narrow in on a program that fits and alleviates the space crunch. Falen noted that moving central office, business, and special education services to the site could free up critical space at the high school, adding that it's a great opportunity to secure an asset that doesn't take green space.

The committee discussed using leftover funds from prior allocations to pay for the conceptual architectural work. Mark Milano emphasized the need for professional guidance before moving forward with any purchase recommendation to the Select Board. We should bring on some expertise. Sean and I sketched some ideas, but we need a designer to do a mockup and tell us what we can and can't do, Milano stated. He specifically raised concerns about the stretch energy code and how renovations might trigger expensive requirements for the entire connected complex. We need a code review of the stretch code to see if touching one building affects the others since they are attached, he warned.

Motion Made by M. Milano to move forward with procuring an architect/designer for conceptual work related to the Laboure College site. Motion Passed (8-0-0). This vote includes support from members Nathan Hutau, Gary Hurley, Scott Terishek, Shauna Willick, Tim Lombard, and Megan Haggedy, who joined the meeting in person after attending her children's sports practices.

Beyond the Laboure site, the committee is making rapid progress on the Gile Road project. A recent site walk on April 29 attracted significant interest, with 25 to 30 representatives from various firms attending. Submittals for the Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) role are due by May 27. Gary Hurley noted the importance of the selection process, recalling that the committee should be following exactly the MSBA guidelines to ensure the best outcome for the town. While a subcommittee consisting of Glenn Hoffman, Scott Terishek, and Tim Lombard will handle the initial shortlisting, the full committee will participate in the final interviews scheduled for early June. Megan Haggedy clarified the process, asking is the subcommittee doing the interviews or is the whole committee participating? before the chair confirmed the full board would vet the final three candidates.

Addressing community concerns regarding future growth, the committee also established a new subcommittee to perform a deep dive into the citizens' review of enrollment analysis. The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has requested a formal response to the data provided by residents. Nathan Hutau, who served on the town's original enrollment group, volunteered to assist, stating I can help since I was on the original enrollment group. Shauna Willick also offered her support for the June review, though she noted her immediate schedule was full: I'm happy to help, but my son is graduating May 15th/16th, so I have zero time before then.

Member Gary Hurley also suggested that the Laboure site could change the scope of other projects, noting that you could take non-reimbursable spaces from the Gile project and move them here, potentially winding up with a smaller Gile Road project while growing the town's portfolio. The chair plans to present an update on both the Gile Road progress and the Laboure investigation at the upcoming Town Meeting on May 6th, though no new funding votes will be required at that time as existing appropriations remain in place.