The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) core grant program is a post-paid grant program with a multiple defined processes defined by MSBA as Modules. The City completed the first step with the submission of the Statement of Interest (SOI), and funding of the feasibility study and schematic design, which concluded with execution of the feasibility study agreement with the MSBA in February 2025.
The City is currently in the Funding Phase of the MSBA program which they refer to as the Feasibility Study and Schematic Design Modules. At the conclusion of the Schematic Design module a total project budget will be established that accounts for all project costs, and the maximum reimbursement the City can expect. Should the City vote to fund the project in September 2027, the team would move on to detailed design and construction. The earliest expected opening of the new school would be Fall of 2030, although that could change based upon the scheme and procurement method chosen.
Once the Team is formed in the funding phase, the project moves though three main parts:
On the current schedule, the project site will be chosen in the Fall of 2026, and the final budget for the building will be determined by August of 2027. As different schemes have different construction durations, the proposed opening date will develop throughout 2026-2027, with the earliest opening possible being Fall 2030.
More information can be found about the MSBA process here – https://www.massschoolbuildings.org/buildingFor more information, please go to the MSBA website.
There are two site options for this project, the existing Hemenway Elementary School site, or the parcel purchased by the City of Framingham on Bethany Road.
Over the course of the Fall of 2026, the School Building Committee will discuss differences between these sites and the options they present for a new school. Once such challenges is the distribution of students within the city relative to the school they attend. That is represented in the graphic below for each of the 9 current schools.
More will be coming soon as this is discussed by the School Building Committee.
The project is supported by the Massachusetts School Building Authority as part of their Core Grant Program. It reimburses the City for eligible costs associated with this feasibility study and if the City votes to fund the project in September 2027, they would reimburse a significant portion of the design and construction costs.
At the Preliminary Design Program stage, the consultants developed initial costs based on differences between the schemes to understand relative cost differences based on the average Massachusetts school as a benchmark. At the Preferred Schematic Stage the cost estimates begin to reflect the further development of each scheme to make an informed decision of which should move forward. At the Schematic Design Stage a detailed estimate of the design scope is established to develop a total project budget. This budget accounts for all aspects of project completion, and serves as the basis for the grant and the funding asked to the City.
The following are the estimates the SBC considered at the end of PDP:
The core grant program reimburses the community for eligible costs at the District’s base reimbursement rate (70.43%), plus any project specific additional reimbursement points earned. That base reimbursement rate is adjusted annually based on community factors and is not locked until the District is offered a Project Scope and Budget agreement at the end of Schematic Design.
The MSBA has several types of costs which are ineligible for reimbursement. They fall into four general categories.
As a result of the ineligible costs and cost caps the maximum total grant is often 15-20% lower than the City’s reimbursement rate.
Framingham Elementary School Building Project
Framingham Public Schools
19 Flagg Drive, Framingham, MA 01702
