JCJHS Building Project Community Forum — September 16, 2026

Superintendent of Schools Scott Holcomb and district leaders held a community forum to present the proposed Joseph Case Junior High School (JCJHS) building project ahead of an upcoming town vote requiring a two-thirds majority. School officials and consultants provided an overview of the deficiencies in the current century-old facility, including undersized classrooms, inadequate mechanical ventilation, lack of ADA accessibility, presence of asbestos, and converted closets used for office space. The proposed project would construct a new junior high school on the town-owned DelMac Orchard parcel adjacent to the existing high school, establishing a unified campus with separate traffic loops, new athletic fields, and modern learning spaces.

The project carries an estimated total cost of approximately $150 million. With anticipated Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) reimbursements and green incentive rebates covering roughly $61.5 million, Swansea's local share would be capped at approximately $88.3 million. Officials explained that financing this amount at an estimated 4.5% interest rate would cost the average homeowner (assessed at $500,000) roughly $170 per quarter, or about $2 per day. Holcomb emphasized that if the ballot measure fails, MSBA funding would be lost and could not be reapplied for up to 10 to 15 years, leaving the town responsible for an estimated $98 million in code-compliance repairs for the existing building with no state aid.

Following a recorded 3D design fly-through, attendees engaged in a question-and-answer session with administrators and project consultants. Discussions covered shared field usage between the junior high and high school, long-term technological adaptability, the track record of project managers PMA, and the risks of delaying construction. Officials announced that additional open houses and another forum would take place on October 14th prior to the vote.

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