WILMINGTON, MA — The Wilmington Finance Committee met on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 in the Town Hall Auditorium.
The Committee held a public hearing on the articles contained in the warrant for the Special Town Meeting scheduled for Saturday, September 13, 2025 at 9am at Wilmington High School. At that Town Meeting, voters will be asked to approve the borrowing for a new PreK-5 elementary school at the current North Intermediate site (320 Salem Street).
All Finance Committee members were present except John Doherty and Andy Levine. The meeting was run by Chair Theresa Manganelli.
The public hearing began with Wilmington Town Manager Eric Slagle making a 30-minute presentation about the school building project.
Slagle noted he’ll be giving this same exact presentation to voters at the start of Town Meeting as part of Article #1 (“to hear a report of the School Building Committee.”)
After introducing the project team — Fontaine (Project Construction Manager); Left Field (OPM); and Dore & Whittier (Architects), Slagle explained the Town is currently in Phase 5 of an 8-step process with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), which is reimbursing the town $62,134,793 of the project’s $173,265,626 cost.
Slagle explained that the Town was invited into the MSBA program after being deemed eligible (Phase 1: April 2021); formed a Project Team (Phase 2: April 2022); completed a Feasibility Study (Phase 3: April 2023); completed Schematic Design (Phase 4: November 2024); and is currently securing the Project Funding Agreement, which requires successful YES votes at the Special Town Meeting on Saturday, September 13 (2/3 majority) and Special Town Election for a Debt Exclusion on Tuesday, September 16 (simple majority). (Phase 5)
With both affirmative votes from residents later this month, the Town would then enter the Design Phase (Phase 6: 2025-2026), the Construction Phase (Phase 7: 2026-2028) and the Occupancy Phase (Phase 8: 2028).
Slagle explained how all six elementary schools are of “similar vintage” (built in the 1950’s & 1960’s) and suffer from space deficiencies which impact the educational program. According to the Town Manager, each school needs significant upgrades, citing HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems, plus exterior windows. Accessibility issues must also need to be addressed.
Wilmington submitted a statement of interest for each of the six elementary school buildings to the MSBA. The MSBA requires districts to select one primary school in most need — the Wildwood was determined to be that school. The Wildwood was closed in March 2022 following an oil tank breach. Wildwood students are currently housed at the Middle School and West Intermediate School.
Slagle explained that MSBA allowed the Town to review multiple grade configurations. The This allowed the town to address up to three of the six schools with just one project. The School Building Committee began by considering 18 concepts on 4 sites, which was then whittled down to 9 concepts on 3 sites. After a great deal of debate and opportunities for community input, the Committee ultimately decided — by a 16-6 vote — on the PreK-5 concept at the current North Intermediate site, at a key meeting back in October 2024.
Slagle then took a “big picture look” at the district’s current elementary school situation, noting there is now a “capacity mismatch” in terms of number of facilities and grade configurations with the Wildwood students housed in the Middle School, leaving an imbalance between the North and West sides of town. Slagle noted a PreK-5 school would also reduce the number of building transitions a student must make before Middle School.
“[This proposal] would provide to a modern elementary school for half of the students in town as soon as possible,” added Slagle. “It would further the educational goals for the district as quickly as we could for this elementary school cohort.”
If Wilmington is fortunate enough to participate in the MSBA program once more, Slagle noted a similar school building project on the West side of town could take place around 2036, without raising taxes, as outlined in his Long Term Building Plan highlights.
“I believe the town will be able to do so without a tax increase by leveraging funds we’ve currently spending on our standing pension assessment,” said Slagle. That liability will be paid off right around the time the debt from the High School project comes off the tax rolls.
Slagle then rattled off a long list of issues with the elementary school buildings’ current condition, and noted they were all built before computers, accessibility laws, and modern school safety measures. He noted students with certain physical disabilities must attend school on the West-side of town because the North counterparts aren’t ADA compliant.
Educational challenges presented by the current North-side schools were also discussed, including: Multiple transitions in elementary years; Schools having different start and end times; Undersized classrooms as compared to MSBA guidelines; Need for dedicated classrooms for differentiated instruction; Limitations of space to support wide range of student needs; No designated science or technology (STEM) spaces; Limited dedicated workspaces for service providers to meet with students; Limited time and space for staff collaboration and combined professional development; accessibility issues throughout buildings; and nurses suite without a separate exam area.
Slagle then showed a video highlighting the building’s schematic design, and discussing the project’s economic benefits (including the MSBA’s $62 million grant, coupled with short-term savings on construction costs and long-term savings on operating costs), community benefits (including less school pickups for families and the centralization of the CARES program to one location), and educational benefits (including reducing the number of transitions, educational specialists having more time with students, and educators getting common planning time together).
The video noted the community would also have access to the gym for public use outside of school hours; the cafetorium and stage for community gathers; and outdoor play space (e.g., three playgrounds for different age groups, fields, courts, walking path).
Slagle stressed that the building design attempts to maintain the small community feel for students by separating the grade levels within the building. Students in PreK through Grade 2 will be housed in the lower wing, with Grades 3 through 5 located in the upper wing.
Slagle explained the new school will be built on the existing site’s fields. The current school would remain open during construction. The existing building would then be demolished and the parking lot — with 190 spaces — would be completed.
Slagle briefly touched on building security, noting a single access entry point and the ability to lockdown access to the classroom portion of the building quickly. He pointed out that when the community accesses amenities after hours, like the gym, the rest of the building will remain secure. He, understandably, did not want to delve too deeply into all of the building’s security features in a public forum.
Slagle touted the sustainability of the all-electric building, noting the Town is receiving 4% additional reimbursement “bonus points” ($4.5 million) from MSBA due to the the building’s sustainability features. The building will be at least LEED Silver, with a target goal of LEED Gold.
The Town Manager then dedicated a large portion of his presentation discussing the cost of the project and its impact on taxpayers.
“We worked really hard with the design professionals to drive the cost down during this process,” said Slagle.
Slagle noted the cost of the building has decreased sharply during the process. During preliminary schematic design (March 2024), the project cost was estimated at $194 million to $214.5 million ($1,156 to $1,278 per square feet). During the preferred schematic report (July 2024), the project cost was estimated at $177.6 million to $196.3 million ($1,086 to $1,200 per square feet). Finally, during the final schematic design (May 2025), the project cost settled at $173,265,626 ($1,050 per square feet).
The $173.2 million price tag includes contingency funds for rising costs and the demolition of the existing North school building.
The $62 million contribution from the MSBA, which represents approximately 35% of total project costs, will be coupled with $15 million taken from the town’s stabilization funds, leaving taxpayers with their share of $96.1 million in new debt to shoulder.
The project will be financed using a 30-year bond at a conservative 4.5% interest rate. The average single family home (assessed at $703,000) will see an annual $422 tax increase, which will remain fixed for 30 years. The monthly impact for the average single family home will be $35.17. The project’s tax impact is $0.60 per $1,000 of assessed value. The Town encourages homeowners to use this tax calculator to get a better sense of what they can expect to pay given their home’s unique assessed value.
Slagle noted the tax impact would cost “less than a cup of coffee a day” for most taxpayers.
The Town Manager then shared a few slides to illustrate that the cost of the school building project is in line with other recent MSBA-approved projects. Wilmington’s building cost (cost/square feet) came in at $538, while the average with eight other projects was $542. Similarly, Wilmington’s total construction cost (cost/square feet) came in $885, just a few dollars above the $883 average.
Slagle then compared the $422 average tax impact per year figure with 11 other districts that had recent school building projects. Wilmington’s tax impact was the third smallest, behind only Burlington’s Fox Hill Elementary School and North Adams’ Greylock Elementary School.
“We’re incrediblly competitive,” said Slagle. “We see lots of projects [on this list] with costs that are significantly exceeding what we’re asking from our taxpayers. We’ve done a really good job… to make this as minimal of an impact on the taxpayer as possible.”
If approved on September 13 and September 16, the project will move forward to final design and bidding. Construction would begin in the summer of 2026, with occupancy projected in the fall of 2028.
If the project is rejected on September 13 and/or September 16, Wilmington will have 10 business days to submit a remedy plan. Slagle clarified to Wilmington Apple recently that the “project is the project” and it could not substantially change as part of the remedy plan. The grade configuration, the location, and even the square footage would need to remain the same. The town would not be able to schedule another vote on the building project without MSBA approval.
If the project ultimately fails, Wilmington would likely not be allowed to re-enter the the MSBA grant program for 5 to 10 years (an average of 7-8 years), according to Slagle.
During that time, Slagle believes the Town — with no assistance from the state — would need to begin to repair and renovate its three existing North-side schools. Estimates put that price tag at $97.2 million (an average of $32.4 million per school) — Wildwood ($26.6 million to $29.4 million); Woburn Street ($36.3 million to $40.1 million); and North Intermediate ($29.5 million to $32.6 million). Slagle noted these repairs, renovations and code improvements would approach, possibly exceed, the $96.1 million Wilmington voters are being asked to borrow to build a new PreK-5 school to replace the three schools in question.
“Right now, we have eight weeks in the summer to complete capital projects on these schools. That’s not a lot of time to do projects, certainly not significant renovations,” continued Slagle. “We may need temporary classrooms or other alternatives, which would increase the costs of this project for the town.”
Due to annual 4%-5% construction cost increases, Slagle noted that if the Town were to get back into the MSBA program after a failed vote in 7 years, taxpayers would be likely be looking at a 25%-35% increase in cost for the same exact project.
“And a smaller project [like a PreK-3 school] could end up costing as much or more than we wave have proposed right now,” Slagle noted.
Beyond the financial impacts, Slagle also discussed several educational impacts on a failed vote, including the Wildwood community being split between two schools; students needing to cross streets for specialist classes; teacher collaboration remaining difficult; a delay in adding STEM classes for elementary students; and young learners not being housed in spaces not designed for their needs.
“Hopefully the town will move forward and capture the $62 million in state funding,” concluded Slagle, noting the Town is likely going to have to renovate or build a new Middle School in 25-30 years. “We have that time to deal with six elementary schools, and that’s not a lot of time.”
Slagle encouraged voters to arrive early to the Special Town Meeting at the High School on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at 9am. Check in will begin at 8am.
He noted the Special Town Election (Debt Exclusion Vote) will take place at regular polling locations on Tuesday, September 16, from 8am to 8pm. Precincts 1-3 vote at the new Senior Center (130 Main Street). Precincts 4-6 vote at the current Town Hall (121 Glen Road). In-person early voting is being offering in the Town Clerk’s Office through Friday, September 12, 2025. Early voting hours can be found HERE.
Wilmington Apple will recap the rest of the meeting — and what a meeting it was! — later this week. A preview…
Upon the completion of the Town Manager’s presentation, the Finance Committee was given the opportunity to ask questions. Member Scott Neville, a supporter of the project, asked more than a dozen questions. It appeared Neville may have been asking questions trying to solicit information to combat arguments raised by opponents of the project. He asked about the future use of the Wildwood and Woburn Street School sites; traffic; communication with abutters; community outreach efforts; the origins of consolidation; geothermal; solar panels; green space; water mitigation; non-reimbursable costs; alternate site locations; school safety; special education spaces; cost inflation; and more.
Following additional questions from Finance Committee members, including critical ones from Joseph Lavino over non-reimbursable costs and the size of the gym, members of the public got a turn at the microphone, with six speaking in favor of the project and six speaking out against the project. Slagle and Assistant Town Manager Judy O’Connell — Chair of the Building Committee — responded to several questions and comments from the audience.
After 3.5 hours, including a 5-minute break when the mics were hot, the Finance Committee did, ultimately, vote to support Article #2 (borrowing the funds to construct the new PreK-5 school at the North site) by a 6-1 margin, with Lavino in opposition.
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