Lowell Moves Forward with Repairs at Eight Schools as Part of Historic Facility Upgrades

The City of Lowell and Lowell Public Schools are proud to announce that the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has officially invited the City into its 2025 Accelerated Repair Program (ARP). This latest round of funding will support critical infrastructure upgrades at eight school buildings, marking one of the largest single-year ARP invitations in the City's history.

The MSBA's Board of Directors voted on October 29, 2025, to invite Lowell to collaborate of a Schematic Design Study for potential roof and window/door replacement projects at the following schools:

• Butler Middle School

• Bartlett Community Partnership School

• Bailey Elementary School

• Greenhalge Elementary School

• Daley Middle School

• Shaughnessy Elementary School

• McAvinnue Elementary School

• Rogers STEM Academy

These projects are part of the MSBA's ARP, which focuses on the preservation of existing school buildings by performing energy-efficient and cost-saving upgrades. The program targets essential building systems - such as roofs, windows, doors, and boilers - that are at the end of their useful life. These improvements are expected to result in direct operational savings for the City and enhance the learning environment for students and staff.

"This is a major step forward in our ongoing commitment to providing safe, modern, and energy-efficient learning environments for all Lowell students," said City Manager Thomas A. Golden, Jr. "We are grateful to the MSBA for their continued partnership and to the Mayor and City Council for their unwavering support of our public schools."

The MSBA is expected to reimburse the City for approximately 79.58% of eligible project costs, significantly reducing the financial burden on local taxpayers. The City Manager's administration is currently preparing a loan order to fund the schematic design phase, which will be presented to the City Council in accordance with the MSBA's project timeline.

"This latest round of MSBA funding reflects the City's long-term vision and dedication to our students and educators," said Mayor Daniel P. Rourke. "I want to thank the Members of the Lowell City Council for their forward-thinking leadership and historic financial commitment to the Lowell Public Schools."

About the MSBA

The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) is a quasi-independent government authority created by the Legislature in 2004 to reform the process of funding capital improvement projects in the Commonwealth's public schools. The MSBA replaced the former school building assistance program administered by the Department of Education (now the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education).

The MSBA works in partnership with local communities to create affordable, sustainable, and energy-efficient schools across Massachusetts. It is funded through a dedicated revenue stream of one penny from the state's 6.25% sales tax, allowing it to equitably invest in right-sized, fiscally responsible, and educationally appropriate solutions for school construction and renovation. To date, the MSBA has made more than $18.3 billion in reimbursements to cities, towns, and regional school districts.