A lot has changed about the plan to build a new middle school in Concord during the last year — most notably, the school’s location, but other things have shifted, too.
The idea of renovating has been re-examined and, again, ruled out. Soil testing found that bracing needs to be embedded in the ground in case of an earthquake. State lawmakers confirmed they had no appetite to support the project with any state money, and some cost-saving tax credits will sunset as a result of the new federal budget.
When it comes to the voices steering the plan, a new school board member has joined the conversation, and most recently, a superintendent hired in part because of her previous experience with shepherding new school construction is no longer at the table.
The broadstrokes of the project have largely remained the same, though.
The price tag is still in the $155 million range, competing with other school district and city projects for increasingly pinched taxpayer funds.
The project’s tight timeline means the school board is approaching a green-light-it or red-light-it decision. This fall is the soonest the school board would make a call about whether to move forward.
But with tax rebates and other savings set to expire, and with rising inflation, delays to the project could gain little and cost much.
“There’s always going to be a sting of a tax increase. None of it ever feels good. But what hill do you want to die on?” said board member Sarah Robinson. “We need a new school: we’re just at the point where it’s like, make a decision or hit crisis point.”
If the project were green-lit in October, construction would start in April 2026. Students move in over the holiday break at the end of 2028, the current school would be demolished in spring 2029 and students could begin using the new fields in 2030.
It’s not clear whether everyone can stomach the costs.
The Concord Concerned Citizens group that forced the board to reverse course on the school’s location last year has pledged to hold board members’ feet to the fire again if the cost is “unacceptable.” The group hasn’t specified what “acceptable” is, but it has said that $155 million isn’t it.
The price tag for a school on South Street that broadly resembles the one previously planned at Broken Ground would be more than $171 million dollars, according to estimates presented to board members and public volunteers Wednesday night.
But, through some further cuts and cost-saving measures, the plan recommended by the building committee and set before the school board carries a net price of about $155 million. A year ago, the estimate for a school across the river was about $152 million.
A bond to build this school alone would increase the school district tax rate by $0.83, according to the latest district estimate. That’s $332 added to the bill of a $400,000 home, before other budget increases. The amount on tax bills from the bond would then decrease each year until it’s paid off.
The new estimate includes:
- $2 million returns in tax credits for solar energy that expire next summer under the Trump administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill”
- $8 million in rebates for ground-source heat pumps
- $2.2 million in savings for early construction preparation only available if the project is approved this fall
- Roughly $2 million to $5 million in reductions by choosing cheaper options for roof materials, overhangs, landscaping, wall tiles and other details
The building committee reviewed a la carte features it could cut to save money. The school board will have an opportunity to do the same later this month. So far, though, most of the big stuff is still in there.
Here’s a few major things that so-far remain included and the cost reduction associated with removing each item:
- Three grass fields with irrigtation: $440,000 each
- A multipurpose room, used for wrestling and cheer among other things: $2 million
- 462-seat auditorium with retractable seats and replace with cafetorium: $2.4 million
- Band room: $1 million
- Makers space, in addition to woodshop and robotics rooms: $344,000
- Outdoor basketball courts and playground: $230,000 and $220,000
- Indoor ramp linking first and second floors: $1.2 million
- Second elevator: $260,000
Editor’s note: This story was updated to include tax estimates provided by the Concord School District.