The Millis Middle/High School needs renovations and an expansion to meet the needs of the students in Town. The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) invited the Town into their capital program, based on need, to address the building deficiencies and growing space needs. 

Over the past two years the School Building Committee (SBC) evaluated 12 options for potential building solutions, including multiple options for renovation only, addition/renovation, and new construction building options. The SBC, School Committee, and Select Board concluded that the addition/renovation option - which built a new middle school wing, a new gymnasium, and then renovated the high school - was the best option for the Town of Millis. 

The selected addition/renovation option was the best solution that fully met the academic needs outlined in the educational plan, did not require temporary modular classrooms (to house students while their classrooms were being renovated), and achieved the highest estimated effective reimbursement rate from the MSBA. 

The scope of the project includes a new wing addition that will house the Middle School program, a new gymnasium sized to handle a full school assembly, and a new central administration office suite. The academic wing of the high school will be fully renovated to provide modern classrooms, science room facilities, and appropriate spaces for special education and other programs. The old gym will be converted into the Library/Media center, a Physical Therapy room, and a weight training room. The boys’ and girls’ locker rooms will be fully renovated in one of the earliest phases of the project.  Other areas of the building, including the auditorium and cafeteria, are getting lighter touch updates and safety improvements. 

The total cost of the project is $125,000,000. With the reimbursement from the MSBA of $68,256,981 (which equates to 54.6%), the Town will be responsible for $56,743,019. The tax estimate on an average $605,200 home in Millis will result in additional annual taxes of $916.00.

When considering the costs for the chosen approach compared to a basic renovation, the committees considered cost and functionality. The straight renovation will not have a new wing for the Middle School, a new gym, or renovated classrooms that meet current size and safety standards for educating our students. 

The straight renovation will cost $75,000,000 and would receive minimal reimbursement from the MSBA. In the opinion of these committees, the recommended addition/renovation was the most fiscally responsible solution for the Millis residents. 

The project is scheduled to receive MSBA board approval on Oct. 29.  The project will then need to have approval votes from the residents of Millis at the fall Town Meeting on Nov. 10 with a two-thirds approval, and at the special ballot election on Dec. 8 with a simple majority approval. 

With successful votes at the Town Meeting and Ballot, the project will move forward to hire a construction manager to help plan the renovation of the occupied school. The project anticipates breaking ground in March of 2027 with the addition completed and opened for the fall 2028 academic year. The high school renovation would conclude during February break 2029 followed by the demolition of the smallest academic wing in the existing building that will serve as the swing space location to enable the renovations. The project will conclude with final site work in the spring and summer of 2029.  

Submitted by the Millis School Building Committee