Needham School Building Committee unanimously approves Pollard Middle School schematic design for state submission

NEEDHAM — June 22, 2026 — Needham's School Building Committee unanimously approved submitting the Pollard Middle School schematic design to the Massachusetts School Building Authority at its June 22 meeting. The 7-0 vote clears the way for the 1,300-plus-page package, covering a 260,000-plus-square-foot building budgeted at $325.4 million, to be transmitted to the MSBA on June 25. Finance Committee representative John raised concerns that aggregate contingencies embedded in the project budget exceed $50 million when layered reserves within the $259 million construction estimate are combined with additional owner contingencies totaling roughly $24 million on top, calling for sharper scrutiny before the November 3 debt exclusion vote. PBBC member George defended the structure, citing a prior police and fire project where a politically imposed cut to contingency forced the town to seek additional funds during COVID. The MSBA reimburses at $605 per square foot against a current project cost of just under $1,000 per square foot, placing the effective reimbursement rate at an expected 20 to 25 percent of total cost — roughly in line with the Sunita Williams school's final net rate of 20 to 22 percent. A community meeting is scheduled for June 30, with a Special Town Meeting set for October 19.