No major school building projects in FY ’27 to make way for later years

School officials say there are no major capital projects in the fiscal 2027 budget, but updates to elementary and preschool buildings remain on the horizon. 

“We made some decisions on what to prioritize, listening to a lot of the input received from folks while also being mindful of some of the constraints the town of Acton has,” Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Robert Conry said at the November 19 School Committee meeting. 

The five-year projection presented to committee members has a capital spending budget of just over $500,000 specifically for Acton’s school district. Officials presented plans for Acton-Carlisle High School in a separate budget earlier this month.

The largest chunk is going to technology replacements. The district is estimating a cost of $144,000 in fiscal year 2027 to start replacing touchscreen boards in classrooms. The second-largest project, at roughly $126,000, is replacing Alcott Elementary’s HVAC system. 

“We are only prioritizing things we think absolutely need to be done,” Conry said. 

Schools Superintendent Laurie Hunter said that’s not because school officials don’t care about maintaining their buildings. 

“There is a bigger-picture discussion going on at the town level,” Hunter said. “Rather than sink more money into this when there is exploration of what the options are, that makes more sense.” 

A town working group is studying what to do with properties including the schools’ Ripley Administrative Building.

Asphalt and roofing 

Projected capital spending after fiscal year ’27 leaps. In fiscal year ’28, school officials expect just under $1 million to be necessary, with almost half of that money going toward Willard Elementary’s parking lot. 

“There are some bigger cost items coming down the pike,” Hunter said, such as paving and roofing projects for all the schools. 

To save money on those larger projects, Hunter and Conry said they are prioritizing necessary improvements until the school buildings become eligible for state funding. Hunter said more Massachusetts School Building Authority grants become available when a building turns 30. 

“Because you are five years shy of that,” Hunter said, “our recommendation is to try and hold out so we can try and apply for MSBA to get some state subsidy for the bigger-ticket projects.”