¨We applied for funding for a new school this year, but we just didn’t make the cut, the MSBA decided that Triton was not a top priority for need.¨ — Nerissa Wallen
The Massachusetts School Building Authority is an independent government authority that helps fund the construction of school buildings in the commonwealth. Recently Triton High School applied to receive funding for a new high school but we were denied funding.
But what were the reasons we were denied funding? And how does the MSBA decide who receives funding?
¨We applied for funding for a new school this year, but we just didn’t make the cut, the MSBA decided that Triton was not a top priority for need.¨ Said school committee member Nerissa Wallen. ¨We were very close.¨
How does the MSBA decide who will receive funding for a new building project? First there is an eligibility period. Where schools must submit an application to the program stating the major areas of need and why they should receive a new school. The MSBA committee members will review that application and vote on whether that school is an area of need. If everything goes well the school will be put into the feasibility study phase. This is planning out the logistics of either a new school or renovation and creating a team. But this does not fully guarantee funding from the MSBA.
Triton was one of the schools selected into the eligibility period, but we were not selected to proceed further in the process.
One of the most recent schools near Triton to be accepted by the MSBA was Pentucket. The MSBA agreed to cover half of what the cost was for a new school. Mr. Allen gave all the journalism classes the opportunity to visit Pentucket, and ask students and staff questions about the new building. Pentucket began the process of seeking approval for funding in 2015 and were denied funding a couple of times. It was not until 2019 where they were finally beginning the financial part of the process.
The major reason for this is because we are a school in the suburbs. The MSBA mainly focuses on schools in cities and communities that are low income and have a harder time paying taxes. But with this comes trial and error. As long as Triton continues to apply we will get closer to receiving funding for a new building.
