Milton officials are moving to protect the town’s future school site by seeking an extension to a critical legal deadline. During a September 15 meeting, School Building Committee Chair Sean Work detailed a warrant article for the upcoming Fall Town Meeting that would adjust a 2023 land swap agreement. The original deal mandates that the land revert to the Parks and Conservation Departments if school funding is not secured by 2028, a timeline that Work warned is no longer realistic given the pace of state requirements.

Work explained that when the swap was first authorized, the town had not yet entered the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) program, which follows a more rigid schedule. With the delay we're seeing now, we don't want to get to a point with MSBA and then all of a sudden the reverter kicks in and we've got no land, Work said. Committee member Mark Luring and Work recently presented the proposal to the Warrant Committee, which nearly unanimously supported the extension. Mara, a representative from the School Committee, added that her board also voted unanimously to support the warrant article a few weeks ago.

The committee is currently in the midst of MSBA Module 1, having submitted all required documentation by the end of July. The next major milestone is a negotiation over enrollment numbers, which is expected to conclude by October 28. Work noted the district is targeting a projection of 650 to 700 students for either an upper middle school or a new elementary facility. While the state uses a specific formula based on birth rates and housing permits, Luring signaled a desire to keep the pressure on the state timeline, asking, Is there any advocacy we can do to push to the end of December? I’m always happy to bother people.

Site logistics also drew attention as the committee analyzed a Blue Hills Parkway Corridor Study by the MAPC. The study proposes new bike and pedestrian pathways that could impact bus traffic and site access. Glenn Hoffman raised questions regarding the geographic scope of the transit proposals, noting that Alternatives five and six would only be implemented south of Pine Tree Brook Trail. A primary concern remains the lack of a median break on the parkway, which may complicate how buses enter and exit the property. Megan Haggerty suggested early outreach to state agencies to clear the path for these improvements, noting, I would start with DCR and DEP since it's technically a parkway.

In addition to site access, the committee continues to weigh long-term financial and environmental decisions, including the use of a geothermal HVAC system. Despite a higher upfront cost, the system is favored for its long-term operational savings and federal rebates. Work noted that previous design consultants promoted a geothermal HVAC system mainly due to the rebates. Higher upfront cost, less operation cost. The meeting was attended by all members, including Gary Hurley, Scar Terishack, Nathan Hut, Tim Lombard, Aqua Bolling, Tom McCarthy, and Superintendent Peter Failing.