TAUNTON — Superintendent Dr. Alexandre Magalhaes and the Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School Building Committee wish to thank voters across the District’s seven communities for their approval of a new school facility on Saturday.
“As a District we are grateful to our sending communities for their support of a new school building, and ensuring a 21st century career technical education for future generations at Bristol-Plymouth,” Dr. Magalhaes said.
“Officials and residents in our sending communities — Berkley, Bridgewater, Dighton, Middleborough, Raynham, Rehoboth, and Taunton — have been valued partners as we shaped a visionary, cost-effective proposal.”
“This historic approval is only one step, though. The diligent work of the District and Building Committee will continue until we open the doors to a new Bristol-Plymouth Tech,” Dr. Magalhaes said.
The existing Bristol-Plymouth Tech facility was built in 1972, is significantly undersized, The building faces several challenges including asbestos, outdated and failing building systems, lack of accessibility, excessive exterior deterioration, as well as traffic and safety vehicle access concerns.
The School Building Committee, along with the project’s Owner Project Manager, PMA Consultants, and Architect, HMFH Architects, have spent four years studying more than 19 construction improvement options. With input from the sending communities, as well as guidance provided by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), a new school building on the existing school site was selected for its cost-effectiveness and ability to best meet the students’ educational needs for the next 50 years.
The project will cost $305.5 million. The MSBA has approved a grant reimbursement for the project of up to $125.5 million. The remainder of the project costs, $179.9 million, will be split among the seven District communities, where each city/town pays the same cost per student based on yearly assessed enrollment. The $179.9 million will be paid through the issuance of a 30-year construction bond, with the largest impact beginning in Fiscal Year 2025.
The new school building option being proposed will increase the building’s size to serve 1,434 high school students in 19 vocational programs. The new school design option would also provide an accessible, 21st-century learning environment for students, as well as correct site circulation and safety issues by adding an emergency access road around the building.
To learn more about the project, please visit:
- Project website at bptech.org/MSBA
- Facebook page at facebook.com/NewBPTech
- Instagram page at instagram.com/NewBPTech
Questions may be directed to bptech@pmaconsultants.com
###