The cost of building and rebuilding public high schools across Massachusetts is climbing rapidly, with several projects nearing or surpassing half a billion dollars — and at least two potentially reaching $700 million.
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A proposed rebuild of Madison Park Technical Vocational High School in Boston could exceed $700 million, placing it among the most expensive public school construction efforts in state — and national — history.
Since 2018, the ten largest school building projects approved by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) and local communities have ranged from $285 million to more than $659 million. That record was set last year by a new Lexington High School project.
Six of the most expensive approved projects remain under development, including schools in Lexington, Revere and Lowell, along with several regional vocational technical high schools such as Northeast Metropolitan Regional, Bristol-Plymouth Regional, Diman Regional and Tri County Regional.
In the past week alone, the MSBA approved two additional high-cost proposals: Salem High School at more than $447 million and Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School at $333 million. Both now await local approval.
Meanwhile, a proposed $446 million rebuild for Whittier Regional Vocational Technical School was rejected by voters in 10 of the 11 member communities, where municipalities would have been responsible for roughly 40% of the cost.
Madison Park’s proposal recently entered the MSBA’s Core Program Eligibility Period — the first step toward potential state reimbursement. If approved after the 270-day review, the state could cover between 30% and 40% of the final project cost.
Another major project under study is Brockton High School, one of the largest schools in the state with more than 3,300 students. Early estimates place its rebuild between $350 million and $700 million.
Lexington High School’s $659 million project will begin construction in late 2026 and is expected to open for the 2029–2030 school year. In addition to MSBA funding, the town will finance its share through municipal bonds over four to five years.
To help residents understand the tax implications, Lexington officials created an online calculator tied to a Proposition 2 1/2 override that voters approved in December. According to town estimates, a median-valued home assessed at $1.4 million could see taxes increase by as much as $1,828 in fiscal year 2036 before gradually declining as bonds mature in 2060.
Revere High School, approved in April 2024 at more than $497 million, is scheduled to open in 2028. Other high-cost projects include Waltham Senior High School, which opened in 2024 at more than $374 million, and Lowell High School, which rose from an initial $343 million estimate to $418 million after unforeseen construction challenges.
The surge in Massachusetts school construction mirrors national trends. Over the past decade, the producer price index for school construction has increased approximately 58%, including nearly 36% growth in the last five years, according to federal labor data.
Material costs — including steel, lumber and solar components — have been influenced by inflation and tariffs. At the same time, labor shortages and expanded program requirements for modern high schools, particularly vocational and technical campuses with specialized equipment and labs, have added further pressure.
By the end of 2023, the average cost of new school construction in Massachusetts reached $698 per square foot, up roughly 59% from five years earlier, according to MSBA data. For comparison, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ broader Producer Price Index measure rose nearly 37% over that same period.
Massachusetts now ranks among the states with the most expensive school construction projects nationwide. The Lexington High project surpassed the $578 million cost of Los Angeles’ Robert F. Kennedy Community School, previously considered one of the most expensive school builds in the country.
As additional projects advance through planning and feasibility stages, state officials and local leaders are grappling with how to balance urgent facility needs with taxpayer affordability — a debate likely to intensify as more proposals approach the $700 million threshold.
Originally reported by Grace Zokovitch in Boston Herald.
