Weston presents six school rebuild options with baseline cost of $172 million

WESTON — October 30, 2025 — Weston's MSHS Feasibility Study team presented six conceptual options for the town's aging middle and high school campus, with a baseline repair-only renovation estimated at $172 million total project cost. Architect Jenny Katiyamaki of LaVallee Brensinger led the second public presentation, describing building systems at or near end of life, a missing sprinkler system in the middle school, and enrollment projected to grow 13 to 22 percent over the next decade before accounting for new housing production under Chapters 40B and 3A, which could push increases as high as 42 percent. Options ranged from an addition-renovation of existing buildings to simultaneous new construction of both schools on the campus's eastern fields, with an MSBA-assisted project estimated to deliver an effective state reimbursement of 17 to 26 percent of eligible costs — equivalent to $80 million to $145 million on a hypothetical $350 million construction figure. Finance Committee Chair Bharat Venkatram, attending personally, warned the school committee that borrowing timelines must be coordinated with planned debt for the fire station and water infrastructure, noting that 2028 "may be a bad year to borrow."