HINGHAM — Hingham officials are planning the next phase of three major school building projects that could require separate Town Meeting votes over the next year.
Members of the Hingham School Building Committee updated the School Committee on June 1 about the status of projects at Plymouth River School, South Elementary School and Hingham High School, all of which are moving through the Massachusetts School Building Authority's accelerated repair program.
The elementary school projects focus on roof replacements at Plymouth River and South schools, while the high school project includes both a roof replacement and evaluation of several options for replacing the building's aging heating system.
The projects remain in the design and approval phase, with construction timelines varying by project. Committee members said they intentionally separated the elementary roof projects from the high school project so the roof work would not be delayed while HVAC options continue to be studied.
School Building Committee Chair Angela Thedinga said the elementary school projects are currently undergoing structural assessments, hazardous materials testing and roof condition studies. The design team is expected to present recommended roofing solutions to the committee later this month.
If the projects stay on schedule, schematic designs would be submitted to the Massachusetts School Building Authority in August for consideration at its October board meeting. Once the state board approves the projects, the town would have 90 days to secure funding authorization.
Because of that timeline, officials said the elementary school projects may need to be presented at a special Town Meeting this fall rather than waiting for the annual Town Meeting in 2027.
"We felt that the roof needs were just at those elementary schools. It would be worth it to decouple them and bring that up sooner just to make sure that we get those, we don't delay those roofs," Thedinga said.
School Committee Chair Jen Benham noted that delaying a vote until annual Town Meeting could postpone construction by an entire year.
"The project team has it mapped out so that they could start construction on the day after the last day of school," Thedinga said of the elementary projects. "So we'd be starting right at the tail end of the end of this time next year."
The high school project is operating on a longer timeline because of the complexity of evaluating replacement options for both the roof and HVAC system.
Consultants are studying four potential approaches, including ground-source heat pumps, air-source heat pumps, a hybrid system and a "like for like" replacement of the current equipment. The committee is also examining long-term operating and maintenance costs alongside installation costs.
"We'll also get how much is it to run on an annual basis, what's that lifetime maintenance cost and really understand what's that total cost of ownership for each of the heat pump options," Thedinga said.
The high school project is expected to submit its schematic design package to the state in December for review at a February 2027 board meeting. A funding vote would likely follow at annual Town Meeting in April 2027.
Thedinga said Hingham has been informed that it is eligible for reimbursement of 36.89% of eligible project costs through the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The committee is also exploring additional incentives through Mass Save, federal tax credits and Green Communities funding.
School Committee members also discussed the challenge of explaining the projects and their timelines to residents, particularly because separate Town Meeting votes may be required. Officials emphasized that Town Meeting voters would be asked to approve the full project costs, with state reimbursements arriving as the projects proceed.
"Both of our committees together are really going to have to work on that and figure that out sooner than we think because people are not going to be paying attention this summer and we're going to come back right into it in the fall and have to start getting that message out," School Committee member Alyson Anderson said.
Officials emphasized that the projects are still in the planning phase and that final costs have not yet been determined. The school building committee expects to receive additional design recommendations and cost information throughout the summer before determining which options to recommend as the projects move through the state approval process.
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