CMS price tag seen holding to original $102.8M allocation

A $7.2 million supplement for school construction that Town Meeting voters approved in 2023 appears not to be needed.

At the March 18 School Committee meeting, schools Superintendent Laurie Hunter said most — if not all — of that secondary borrowing for construction of the Ellen Garrison Building at Acton Middle School is likely to be rescinded. 

Voters originally approved roughly $102.8 million for the middle school in 2022, but after early cost estimates came in higher than expected, the second amount was added.

Hunter said the project’s current total payments against town authorization are slightly under $102 million. 

“That’ll go up a little bit as we close out, but essentially we’re not using that second authorization,” Hunter said at the meeting.

Hunter has said any unused middle school funds would go unborrowed, leading to a lesser tax impact on residents. She said that plan will continue as school administrators prepare to put forth a request at the 2027 Annual Town Meeting to rescind the unused borrowing.

Final costs are still being determined as the project closes, a process Hunter said can take up to two years. 

She said only minor items remain outstanding, including sports field landscaping.