Chelmsford school board hears $138M Parker cost update

School Committee · Meeting of October 20, 2026

CHELMSFORD — The Chelmsford School Committee reviewed an updated $256 million cost estimate for the new Parker Middle School ahead of a January 2027 town vote. Project manager Hamdi of Left Field and architects from AI3 told the committee the estimated town share after state reimbursement is approximately $138.1 million, with an average tax impact of about $595 per year. The Massachusetts School Building Authority is expected to cover roughly $111 million of the total cost, reimbursing about 58 percent of eligible expenses.

A special town meeting vote is set for January 11, 2027, with a debt exclusion ballot vote February 9, 2027. The committee also voted unanimously to accept a first-quarter FY2027 budget report showing a $78,150,000 operating budget running favorable, and approved a Chelmsford High School Band trip to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy for March 6, 2027. DPW Director Kristine Clancy reported fiscal 2026 work orders completed at a 97 percent rate, up from 81 percent the prior year.

In the full story:

• Facility Work Order Summary and Capital Projects Update
• Parker Middle School Building Project: Status Update
• 2026/27 Superintendent and School Committee Draft Goals
• FY2027 Budget Report: First Quarter Financials
• Personnel Report and Administrative Items
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,167 words

Source: the School Committee meeting of October 20, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.