Mayor: Council Must Act on School Science Lab Overhaul

The Medford City Council must vote for their proposal of choice for a multi-million dollar high school science lab overhaul at its next meeting, otherwise the city could risk losing out on a state grant to pay for the work, according to Mayor Michael McGlynn.

Earlier this year, Medford was awarded a grant through the state for science facilities improvements. The grant will re-imburse the city for about 60 percent of the cost, but schematic designs must be submitted by Dec. 13, according to a memo from McGlynn to the council. In order to make that deadline, the council must pick its plan of choice at its Sept. 18 meeting, McGlynn said.

Project managers presented three options to the council in early August ranging from $10 to $13.8 million in total cost, but councilors bristled at endorsing one because the School Committee had not yet weighed in. Instead, they approved "." But at the time, councilors Michael Marks and Breanna Lungo-Koehn said they would like to see less costly options considered.

In a meeting Aug. 12, the School Committee endorsed a $13.8 million plan that would completely replace Medford High School's science labs with modern facilities.

If approved, the project is expected to begin construction at the end of the 2012-2013 school year.