Mayor Caroline Simmons and the Board of Finance are on a collision course over a multi-year, multi-school rebuilding plan that could cost the city $1 billion, and require that the state contribute the same. Simmons obtained the legal opinion after finance board members rejected her request for $895,000 to begin design work on Roxbury. One reason they turned down the request, board members said, is that the total project cost has jumped from $86 million to $131 million. In an email to the Board of Finance and Board of Representatives, Simmons wrote that while she respects their involvement in the process, “I have been clear that investing in our school facilities and embarking on this unprecedented school construction building program is one of my administration’s priorities. Given the deteriorating condition of Roxbury, I have an obligation to students, teachers, and parents to ensure the construction of a safe, modern, and high-quality learning environment. Therefore, I will be directing the director of operations to move forward with the schematic design for the Roxbury K-8 project.”
Simmons, Board Finance on Collision Course Over Stamford School Construction Costs