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The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) is a state agency that reimburses Massachusetts cities and towns for new or renovated school buildings, lowering the cost burden on communities.
Getting this support is not automatic—it’s a competitive process. The MSBA carefully reviews each project and partners with local communities to make sure the final plan is the most cost-effective, long-term solution for students, educators, and taxpayers.
By partnering with the MSBA, Needham anticipates up to $80.6 million for a maximum reimbursement, almost 25% of the total project cost of $325.4 million.
MSBA Timeline
MSBA Timeline
Working with the MSBA is a multi-year process. Needham submitted its Statement of Interest for Pollard Middle School to the MSBA's Core Program in April 2023, and the MSBA invited the District into the Eligibility Period in December 2023.
January 2024 - May 2025: Eligibility Period
The Town of Needham completed preliminary requirements, including community authorization and funding for the Feasibility Study, establishing the Town’s Building Design and Construction Department as the Project Owner's Project Manager (OPM), forming the Pollard School Building Committee, and engaging the architect team.
June–December 2025: Feasibility Study
The firm HMFH Architects was hired to study the feasibility, location, grade configuration alongside the District and OPM. Following months of study and community outreach, the team developed seven design options and submitted them in September as part of the Preliminary Design Program (PDP). The School Building Committee (SBC) then voted to narrow those options down to one preferred option; a grade 6-8 new construction building, for 1,335 students, at the Harris Ave site, which was submitted in the Preferred Schematic Report (PSR).
January–October 2026: Schematic Design
During this phase, a final design program and robust schematic design of sufficient detail is developed to establish the scope, budget and schedule for the proposed project. The Schematic Design (SD) was submitted to the MSBA on June 25, which included a revised project estimate of $325.4 million. The MSBA Project Scope and Budget Conference was held with the Town on Monday, August 3, to discuss the total project budget and identify the level of MSBA reimbursement for the project, which is anticipated to be up to $80 million. The MSBA Board will meet on August 26 to vote to approve the Schematic Design.
October 19, 2026: Town Meeting Vote
At the fall Special Town Meeting, there will be a warrant article to appropriate the funds needed for construction.
November 3, 2026: Debt Exclusion Vote
A town-wide ballot question will be presented to voters to approve the necessary funding for the project's construction.
March 2027–March 2028: Detailed Design & Bidding Period
Advancement of design, development of construction documentation, procurement of bids and awarding of the construction contract take place during this time.
April 2028: Construction Begins
Construction is scheduled to start in the spring of 2028. The project will be built in two phases: the school will open for grades 7 and 8 in the 2030-31 school year, followed by grade 6 in January 2032.
More detailed information can be found on the Project Timeline page and in the FAQS below.
MSBA Space Guidelines
MSBA Space Guidelines
To ensure that schools are built with adequate and appropriate space, the MSBA provides Towns/Districts with guidelines for the size and number of spaces to be included in the building design. Some sizes are standardized, like academic and science classrooms, while others, like the cafeteria, gymnasium, and media center, are scaled based on student enrollment.
In conjunction with these guidelines, the MSBA considers the educational program of the individual school district, and ensures that the spaces needed to support the program are incorporated into the school design. For example, there is no MSBA guideline for World Language classrooms, but schools that offer languages are expected to have space for these classes in the building design.
Spaces and Costs Eligible for Reimbursement
Spaces and Costs Eligible for Reimbursement
Not all program costs are eligible for MSBA reimbursement. The following are excluded: costs for square footage that significantly exceeds MSBA guidelines, all costs associated with off-site traffic improvements, and all costs associated with the remediation, removal, and disposal of special waste or hazardous and contaminated materials. Auditorium costs are eligible only for high schools.
In the new Pollard design, the MSBA has determined that 84% of the square footage of the building is eligible for reimbursement.
There are also some fees and costs that will not be reimbursed, including those associated with site acquisition, storage space and moving costs, and temporary modular units. Other costs are capped, including those for furniture, technology, and contingency. A more detailed list of ineligible costs can be found in the FAQs below.
Based on these eligibility restrictions and caps, the MSBA has calculated $185.0M in eligible costs of the $325.4M total project budget.
Reimbursement Rate
Reimbursement Rate
The MSBA's reimbursement rate is determined by a funding formula set out in the MSBA. It represents the share of eligible project costs the MSBA will cover.
The formula starts every district at a base rate of 31 percentage points. That base is then adjusted using three sliding-scale socioeconomic factors:
Community income factor: the district's per capita income as a percentage of the statewide average per capita income.
Community property wealth factor: the district's per capita equalized property valuations as a percentage of the statewide average per capita valuations.
Community poverty factor: the district's proportion of low-income students, defined by federal eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch, as a percentage of the statewide average proportion of low-income students.
Beyond the base rate and socioeconomic factors, the MSBA has discretion to award additional incentive points. The categories that apply to the Pollard project are:
Routine and Capital Maintenance Rating: up to 2 percentage points.
Green School Program: up to 4 percentage points, made up of up to 3% for meeting the minimum energy efficiency requirements in the Opt-in Specialized Code, and up to 1% for achieving a minimum of five points in LEED indoor air quality criteria.
The base rate, plus the socioeconomic points, plus the incentive points, add up to the MSBA's reimbursement rate for the project.
Needham's rate is 42.74%, built from:
Base rate: 31
Socioeconomic points: 5.89
Incentive points: 5.85, made up of maintenance (1.85), energy efficiency (3), and indoor air quality (1)
Total MSBA Share
Total MSBA Share
To calculate the MSBA’s share, the 42.74% reimbursement rate is then applied to the $185.0M of eligible costs, producing a Total MSBA Share of up to $80M (Maximum Total Facilities Grant), which comes out to about 24% of the total project budget of $325.4M. The remaining 76% is the Town's funding responsibility.
FAQs - MSBA Process
FAQs - MSBA Process
What are the various stages of the MSBA’s core construction program?
What are the various stages of the MSBA’s core construction program?
The MSBA's ("Core Program") capital process is depicted in this process flow chart. It consists of the following phases:
Module 1: Eligibility Period The Town completes preliminary requirements, including obtaining community authorization for the project and funding for a feasibility study.
Module 2: Forming the Team The Town engages the consultant Owner's Project Manager (OPM). The Town-employed OPM then worked with the MSBA Designer Selection Board to select the Architect and Engineering Design Team.
Module 3: Feasibility Study After successfully procuring Owner's Project Management and Designer services as outlined in Module 2, the District and its team collaborate with the MSBA to document their educational program, generate an initial space summary, document existing conditions, establish design parameters, develop and evaluate alternatives, and recommend the most cost-effective and educationally appropriate solution to the MSBA Board. During this phase, the OPM submits a Preliminary Design Program (PDP) and a Preferred Schematic Report (PSR) on behalf of the District and its Designer. Approval by the MSBA Board is required for all projects to proceed into schematic design.
Module 4: Schematic Design The District and its team develop a final design program and a robust schematic design of sufficient detail to establish the scope, budget, and schedule for the Proposed Project. The Project Funding Agreement (PFA) identifies the level of MSBA reimbursement for the project.
Module 5: Funding the Project Based upon the completed Schematic Design, the District and MSBA staff establish and document the project scope, budget, schedule, and MSBA financial participation to forward to the MSBA Board of Directors for their approval. This approval establishes the MSBA's participation in the proposed project. Once the District secures community authorization and financial support, the MSBA and the District enter into a Project Funding Agreement (PFA), which defines the scope, budget, and schedule for the Proposed Project. A town-wide ballot question will be presented to voters in November 2026 to approve the necessary funding for the project's construction. This tax override vote is a required step to secure the local share of the project's cost and ultimately authorize the Town to move forward with the project.
Module 6: Detailed Design, Construction Documentation & Bidding The District and its team advance the design, generate construction documentation, procure bids, and award a construction contract in accordance with the agreed-upon project scope, budget, and schedule as documented in the Project Funding Agreement (PFA). The MSBA continues to monitor the project to ensure it remains on track and meets the expectations of both the District and the MSBA as defined in the PFA.
Module 7: Construction Administration This is the phase where the approved design is brought to life through active construction of the school facility. The MSBA continues to monitor the progress of the project to confirm that it remains on track and meets the expectations of both the District and the MSBA as defined in the Project Funding Agreement.
Module 8: Completing the Project This module involves the substantial completion of construction, commissioning of building systems, and final closeout procedures, leading to occupancy of the new or renovated facility.
Module 9: Post Occupancy Evaluation Approximately three years after a project reaches substantial completion, the MSBA and its consultants coordinate with districts to conduct a Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE). This involves distributing surveys, pre-visit questionnaires, and scheduling building visits to collect both qualitative (user satisfaction) and quantitative (building system performance like energy and water usage) data. The goal is to ensure the building is operating as intended, performing as designed, and to apply lessons learned to future school building projects and the ongoing maintenance and operations of MSBA-funded schools.
What project costs are not eligible for MSBA reimbursment?
What project costs are not eligible for MSBA reimbursment?
In the MSBA regulations, certain costs are ineligible for reimbursement. These include, but are not limited to:
All costs associated with site acquisition.
Swimming pools, skating rinks, and field houses.
Needham’s debt issuance, legal, inspection, and permitting expenses.
District administrative space.
Auditoriums for middle schools.
The lease, purchase, or rental of storage space, storage facilities, storage trailers, storage containers, or other moving costs.
Costs associated with the purchase, lease, improvement, or maintenance of temporary modular units.
All costs associated with the abatement or remediation of any contaminated soils, fuel storage tanks, or floor and ceiling tiles.
In addition, the regulations cap the reimbursement of certain eligible costs as follows:
Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment: In excess of a $1,915 per student allowance.
Technology: In excess of a $1,570 per student allowance.
Soft Costs: That exceed 20% of the Construction Cost.
Owner's Project Manager (OPM) fees: Often capped around 3.5% of the construction costs, subject to MSBA participation caps.
Contingency: MSBA typically has caps on reimbursable owner's contingency (e.g., 0.5%) and construction contingency (e.g., 1%).
Areas exceeding MSBA guidelines for square footage: If the school design includes square footage significantly beyond the MSBA's guidelines for student enrollment, those additional square feet will not be reimbursed.
Certain specialized athletic facilities/equipment: Beyond basic playgrounds/fields for elementary schools, specialized athletic stadiums, synthetic turf, spectator amenities, etc., are typically ineligible.
Hazardous material abatement (for existing buildings) and demolition: While generally ineligible, the MSBA may deem these costs eligible in certain circumstances if it is the most cost-effective and educationally sound option, or as part of their Model School Program. These costs are often included within or in addition to the site cost allowance.
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