The Arlington School Committee voted unanimously March 13 to authorize the superintendent to submit a statement of interest (SOI) to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) for accelerated repair funding for Hardy School, 52 Lake Street.

The motion, read into the record and seconded by member Michael Carden, asks the MSBA for consideration of projects including replacement, renovation or modernization of roofs, windows, boilers and heating, ventilation and related systems; the MSBA recently added a heat‑pump conversion pathway to the accelerated repair program. Alex McGee, Arlington deputy town manager and finance director, told the committee the district is pursuing the SOI because Hardy is among the district’s highest energy users and could benefit from conversion to an electric heat‑pump system.

The SOI does not guarantee MSBA acceptance or funding. McGee said if the MSBA invites the district into the program the town would need to budget roughly $50,000 to $100,000 for feasibility and design and the MSBA would assign an owner’s project manager and architect. The committee would then decide whether to seek a full construction application; McGee said Arlington’s MSBA reimbursement rate was about 43% in 2024.

The committee’s vote authorizes the superintendent to sign the SOI form dated March 21, 2025, and submit it to the MSBA. In discussion, McGee noted prior feasibility work and said the town has projected long‑term savings from electrification; he also said the school already has other capital projects under way including a planned envelope project and a roof and solar work in FY26. The motion passed on a roll call of seven yes votes, recorded as unanimous.

Next steps outlined by town staff include preparing the SOI for submission and, if invited by the MSBA at its fall board meeting, completing feasibility design work with costs and a required appropriation decision within roughly 12 months.

The committee took the vote at its March 13 meeting; the SOI must be submitted before the program’s stated closing date for this round.