Burlington School Building Committee Reviews Fox Hill Alternates Ahead of Final Milestone Vote

BURLINGTON — October 14, 2025 — Burlington's School Building Committee reviewed a 16-item value engineering alternates list for the Fox Hill Elementary School project, with the construction budget now estimated at $73,950,700 — roughly $6 million below the $80 million figure set at schematic design. No votes were taken on the alternates at the October 14 meeting; the committee will return next week to vote on Milestone 4, the 90 percent construction documents, before submitting them to the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Project officials attributed the favorable budget position entirely to improved market conditions rather than scope reductions. Items on the alternates list ranged from a $345,000 flat-drain field system and a $222,000 irrigation system to a $187,000 playground manufacturer substitution and a $68,000 human sundial feature. The team warned that alternates not included in the bid documents — expected to go out next month, with bids in hand by January 2026 — will not receive competitive contractor pricing.