Overview

Mary Pichetti speaking at podium with orange and teal balloons in the background
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 Legislature created the MSBA in 2004 to replace the former school building assistance program administered by the Department of Education (now the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education).

The MSBA, which has a dedicated revenue stream of one penny of the state’s 6.25-percent sales tax, is collaborating 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 MSBA has made more than $19.1 billion in reimbursements to cities, towns, and regional school districts for school construction projects. Instead of waiting years for reimbursement, districts now receive payments from the MSBA as costs are incurred, submitting a request through the MSBA’s online Pro-Pay System.

Achievements

To fulfill its mission of bringing reform and innovation to the school building process, the MSBA has accomplished the following:

  • Through its grant program, the MSBA has invited 1,218 projects into its pipeline and made grant payments totaling $9.4 billion for school construction projects. In FY24, the MSBA also made the final payments on inherited projects, which completed the work associated with $10 billion in project obligations from 793 outstanding final audits related to the previous School Building Assistance program.
  • Recognizing the continued need and the success of the MSBA program to date, the legislature approved in the Commonwealth FY24 Budget, the second increase in the MSBA program by increasing the cap for approved Core Program projects to $1.2 billion effective July 1, 2022. This cap can be increased annually up to 6.5%, depending on the growth of the sales tax.
  • In addition, with this legislation, the MSBA has been able to:
    • Provide supplemental grant awards to 30 school districts affected by COVID inflation and has distributed the $100 million provided by the Legislature as of January 30, 2025.
    • Reimburse an additional $164.1 million to these districts representing the MSBA’s share for a total increase of approximately $178 million.
    • Invite a higher number of districts to the MSBA’s Core Program in both 2023 and 2024; and in 2025 the MSBA invited 93-out-of-99 Statements of Interest (SOI) into its ARP program and 15-out-of-27 into the Core Program.
    • Facilitate schools moving towards Massachusetts goal for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The 2025 ARP Statement of Interest (SOI) opening introduced heat-pump conversion projects to the scope of ARP filings; and
    • Increase funding levels for building and site costs by nearly 50% from $432/square foot, effective October 2022, to $645/square foot, effective January 2025.
  • Currently, there are 546 projects that are either active or completed in the ARP. The 546projects are located in 160 districts, many of which have been invited to the ARP multiple times.
  • The MSBA’s grant program supports construction bids of more than $1 billion per year with projects forecast to bid through 2027.
  • In 2025, a total of ten schools in the core program were completed including three elementary schools, two K-8 schools, two middle schools, one middle/high school, and two high schools. These ten schools bring the total of completed schools to 245 as of December 2025.
  • The MSBA recently published the 2025 School Survey. School surveys are conducted to assess the condition of all the elementary and secondary public schools across the Commonwealth. The MSBA previously completed Surveys in 2005, 2010, and 2016.
  • The MSBA has funded 704 Commissioning Consultant contracts for both Core and ARP projects, totaling $56.9 million in commissioning fees for 941 projects at 752 schools.
  • In March 2010, the MSBA launched its one-time, $300 million Green Repair Program. The MSBA completed 189 Green Repair Projects, and the program evolved into the MSBA’s Accelerated Repair Program.
  • The MSBA has completed final audits of 1,748 projects, totaling more than $31.7 billion in submitted costs.

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