School Building Panel OKs $221,432 Change Order

School Building Committee · Meeting of August 19, 2026

WATERTOWN — The Watertown School Building Committee approved a $221,432.05 change order for the high school, even though the building still lacks a certificate of occupancy. Project representative Christy told members, overseen by Mark Sideris, that photovoltaic completion has slipped from November into December after electricians were pulled off solar work to finish $85,000 in accessibility compliance fixes flagged by a citywide ADA audit. The panel also approved $3,692,990.17 in July invoices and an $18,000 garage sweeper purchase, all on 9-0 roll calls.

Member Lindsay Mosca pressed the team on readiness, saying "there's no way we're getting in for school" reflects residents' anxiety, while Christy said inspectors have completed final walkthroughs and "we know everything we're going to know." The school goes before the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board Monday, August 24, for equipment variances, with a ribbon cutting still set for September 2.

In the full story:

• Roll call and a new member
• July invoices for the high school: $3.69 million
• Project update: site, exterior, systems and training
• Photovoltaic installation and site restoration
• Budget update and change order 34: $221,432.05
• Garage sweeper purchase: $18,000
• Schedule and certificate of occupancy
• Middle school project: design development invoices and budget
• Adjournment
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,762 words

Source: the School Building Committee meeting of August 19, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.