From the Desk of Peter Dillon, Superintendent of Schools, Berkshire Hills Regional School District

On November 4th from 11am-7pm, voters will have an opportunity to vote on two ballot questions: 1) to support a new high school and 2) to authorize a debt exclusion. A YES Vite on both questions is necessary for the new high school project to proceed.

The cost of the new school is $152 million with the MSBA committing about $60 million in funding, which could increase to just over $61 million depending on final project approvals. The project is also expected to receive $1.6 million in incentives from Mass Save.

Therefore, the SchooDistrict’s local share remains set at $89 million within the approved $152 million project budget. If contingency funds are used but deemed ineligible for reimbursement, they would be covered within the District’s share; only costs above the total $152 million would require additional local approval.

If the project is approved on November 4th, the District will move forward with borrowing funds for the project. Borrowing may occur in stages, depending on interest rates, but once approved, the project budget cannot increase without additional local approvals.

Construction will tentatively begin in 2027, with the new building expected to open in fall 2029. The new high school will be located on the current site, outside of the existing school’s footprint, which allows the current building to remain fully operational during construction.

response to Keith's query about possible changes to commercial insurance rates, Peter Dillon reached out to MIAA/Cabot Risk, the district's insurance carrier, and provided the following update:

Responses to questions were as follows:

1. It will cost approximately the same to heat and cool a larger building that provides heating, cooling and ventilation for the staff and students.

The cost to heat and cool the new, all-electric building is projected to be $209,000 annually. The existing school’s gas and electricity cost annually is approximately $245,000.

2. Insurance costs for the building will be tied both to the replacement value of the new building which will be higher than our current costs and the new upgraded systems (sprinklers, alarms, etc.) which may help mitigate those increases somewhat.

When the construction/building has been bid out, they can calculate changes in more detail.

3. If the project is not approved, the district will lose its funding opportunity with the MSBA.

4. The existing school still requires extensive repairs, and even partial fixes such as a new roof or heating system would trigger full building code upgrades. These costs would fall entirely on local taxpayers with no MSBA reimbursement and would be the most disruptive option for students and staff over many years, while still resulting in a school that does not meet the educational needs of our programs and students.

The Committee studied repair-only, addition/renovation, and new construction options. A repair-only option would have cost at least $89M, would be 100% taxpayer-funded, would cause the most disruption, and deliver no educational benefit. New construction was chosen as the most cost-effective, least disruptive for students, and best long-term solution for the community.

5. If you are interested in learning more, please attend a Community Information Session.

These meetings provide another chance to review the final design, cost, and tax impact information ahead of the November 4 district-wide vote, and to ask questions in a conversational setting. All residents are welcome to attend the session most convenient to them. Each meeting will include a project update, a review of the final design and financial details, and time for community Q&A. There are two remaining meetings listed under Events above.

If you have questions, feel free to reach out to the building committee at https://monumentbuildingproject.org/connect/ or directly to Superintendent Peter Dillon at peter.dillon@bhrsd.org .

Photo: Lionel Delevingne