Methuen was one of 161 school systems to file a “Statement of Interest” with the new Massachusetts School Building Authority. This filing, for our High School, is eligible for consideration in this initial round of projects. Massachusetts has imposed a moratorium on school building assistance while a new system of school building finance is implemented. That moratorium was lifted on July 1 and the new authority has faced a deluge of requests from School Districts throughout the Commonwealth. Methuen’s antiquated “open concept” High School is badly in need of an overhaul, and we have made our best case to the Authority. While the new funding authority has not been without some controversy relative to it’s handling of some wait listed projects it is my opinion that they have done a great job of educating municipalities about the new system. My experience with them has been positive, and Treasurer Tim Cahill and Executive Director Katherine Craven deserve praise for the succesful start of this program. The School Building Authority has already sent their forward teams out to do a detailed analyses of Methuen High School, and Ms. Craven has visited twice. The competition is fierce, and the money is limited, so their are no guarantees of success for Methuen. I will however begin the process of starting a local building committee to ensure our readiness for this project if it comes. Our legislative delegation has worked tirelessly on this project and deserve praise for their efforts.
Read the Globe article on School Building Assistance at this link.

Methuen Statement of Interest

Methuen High School