Swampscott Select Board Unanimously Backs Middle School MSBA Application

SWAMPSCOTT — April 8, 2026 — Swampscott Select Board votes to pursue state funding for middle school overhaul, approves immigration enforcement resolution. The board voted unanimously Wednesday to authorize Superintendent Jason Kalishman to submit a statement of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, the first step in a competitive process that could lead to a major renovation of the middle school at 207 Forest Avenue — a building with a boiler from 1977, no sprinkler system, and electrical wiring dating in part to the 1950s. Facilities Director Max Casper cautioned that even if selected, the town would not see a completed project before approximately 2033, and that a feasibility study — estimated at roughly $1 million based on the elementary school's $750,000 to $900,000 cost — would need town meeting approval by spring 2027. The board also approved unanimously a resolution barring town property and employees from facilitating federal civil immigration enforcement absent a valid judicial warrant, modeled closely on Governor Healey's Executive Order 650. A five-year financial projection presented by Town Administrator Nick Maddox showed the town heading toward a structural deficit of just under $500,000 by fiscal year 2029, with the average household tax bill rising approximately $680 for fiscal year 2027. In a separate action, the board publicly addressed findings from an independent investigation into a code of conduct complaint against board member Mary Ellen Fletcher, who apologized for going to the Swampscott Police Department on the eve of Thanksgiving to deliver an email accusing fellow board member Doug Thompson of a parking lot incident, a step investigators found violated the board's conduct rules.