Frequently Asked Questions

The partners for the project include the Belmont High School Building Committee (representing the Town of Belmont and the Belmont Public Schools), the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), the Owner's Project Manager (Daedalus Projects), the Architect/Designer (Perkins+Will), and the Construction Manager (Skanska).

The Belmont Middle and High School Building Committee members are:

• Kate Bowen, School Committee Member
• Patricia Brusch, Committee Vice Chair, Permanent Building Committee Chair, Capital Budget Committee
• Thomas Caputo, Selectman, Space Task Force, CMS parent
• Joseph DeStefano, Planning Board, construction experience, CMS and BHS parent
• Stephen Dorrance, Director of Facilities
• Patrice Garvin, Town Administrator, MCPPO Certified
• Bill Lovallo, Committee Chair, Permanent Building Committee, engineering experience, CMS parent
• Michael McAllister, Principal, Chenery Middle School
• Robert McLaughlin, Permanent Building Committee, Warrant Committee
• Christopher Messer, Committee Secretary, operations and real estate experience, BHS parent
• Diane Miller, architecture experience, CMS and BHS parent
• Joel Mooney, Permanent Building Committee, engineering experience
• John Phelan, Superintendent of Schools
• Ellen Schrieber, Warrant Committee Member, CMS Parent
• Jamie Shea, Foundation for Belmont Education, BHS teacher, Burbank, CMS, and BHS parent
• Emma Thurston, Committee Treasurer, business experience, BHS Parent

The Belmont High School Building Committee is an independent committee appointed by the Town Moderator that was approved by the Town of Belmont at the February 2016 Town Meeting. The Committee is a requirement of the MSBA and representatives appointed to the Belmont High School Building Committee must include: a member who is MCPPO certified, a local Chief Executive Officer Administrator or Manager, a School Committee Member (minimum of one), the Superintendent of Schools, a local official responsible for building maintenance, a Representative of Office authorized by law to construct school buildings, the School Principal, a member knowledgeable in Belmont's educational mission and the function of a school facility, a local budget official or member of a local finance committee, and one or more members of the community with architecture, engineering, and/or construction experience.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) is a quasi-independent government authority created to reform the process of funding capital improvement projects in the Commonwealth's public schools. The MSBA strives to work with local communities to create affordable, sustainable, and energy efficient schools across Massachusetts. The MSBA, which has a dedicated revenue stream of one penny of the state's 6.25% sales tax, collaborates with municipalities to equitably invest in finding the right-sized, most fiscally responsible, and educationally appropriate solutions to create safe, sound, and sustainable learning environments.

The Belmont High School Building Committee (BHSBC) selected Daedalus Projects, Inc. to serve as the Owner's Projects Manager for the Belmont High School Building Project and the MSBA approved the selection in April 2017. The Owner's Project Manager (OPM) provides project management guidance throughout the life of a public-school project. Massachusetts General Law (MGL) requires that an OPM is contracted for any public building project where services are estimated to exceed $1.5 million. The duties of the OPM include, but are not limited to: providing advice and consultation with respect to design, value engineering, scope of work, and cost estimating; general contractor and subcontractor prequalification; scheduling, construction, and the selection and negotiation with, and oversight of, a designer and a general contractor for the project; and ensuring the preparation of time schedules, and assisting in project evaluations.

The BHSBC and the Owners Project Manager (Daedalus Projects), in collaboration with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), selected Perkins&Will as the Belmont High School Project Design Team. The Perkins&Will team includes consultants in 29 different areas of specialization including educational programming, engineering, cost estimating, site analysis, sustainable/green design, security, and traffic, among other areas. Perkins+Will will collaborate with the OPM and the BHSBC to complete the Feasibility Study, with the goal of creating an academic model that is forward-looking and supports Belmont's increased student enrollment and evolving educational needs.

The Belmont High School Building Committee selected Skanska as the construction management firm for the Belmont 7 through 12 school project. The construction management team works with the BHSBC, the OPM, and the architecture firm to form plans for delivery of a project based on construction documents and specifications. As consultants to the project, the construction management firm is instrumental in outlining logistics, design development, and construction phasing.

The “delivery method” for the construction of the Belmont High School Building Project is yet to be determined and will be based on the size and scope of the project. A General Contractor (GC) or Construction Manager (CM) will be responsible for the construction contract. The GC or CM contract will be bid in accordance with Massachusetts Public Bidding laws (M.G.L. c. 149/149A).