Milton's 279 Town Meeting members will vote Monday, Oct. 19, on whether to spend $11.75 million to buy the former Labouré College of Healthcare campus at 303 Adams St.

Article 6 on the Special Town Meeting warrant is the biggest-ticket item among nine articles. The purchase needs a two-thirds vote to pass. Even if it clears that bar, the deal is not done: voters must also approve a debt exclusion ballot question at a special election on Dec. 15, where a simple majority is required.

The Select Board approved a purchase and sale agreement at its Sept. 22 meeting, according to the town's Labouré acquisition page. The Warrant Committee voted to support the article at its Sept. 9 meeting.

What it costs

The town estimates it would borrow the full $11.75 million over 20 years at 5% interest. First-year debt service would run about $1.157 million, roughly a 1% bump in the tax levy. For the average single-family home, valued at $1,081,191 in fiscal year 2026, that translates to about $130 more per year, raising the typical tax bill from $12,768 to $12,898.

The debt exclusion is temporary. It is not a permanent operating override. Milton has used the same mechanism for prior school construction, the library addition and renovation, and the ongoing fire station projects.

How the price was set

An appraisal by LandVest, which the town commissioned for $13,500, valued the property at $10.9 million, within a range of $10.18 million to $12.2 million. Labouré's own appraisal, completed in September 2025, came in at $11.75 million. The college had also hired a commercial broker who was marketing the site and preparing to solicit final offers from developers at prices above the town's offer.

Warrant Committee Chair Jay Fundling noted during an Oct. 8 Milton Access TV preview show that the property's assessed value on public records is $13.6 million. "This seems like a reasonable ballpark to the Warrant Committee," Fundling said during that broadcast.

What the town envisions

No final use has been decided.

The Select Board, School Committee and School Building Committee have done preliminary analysis of a possible school project on the 4.7-acre site, which includes about 54,000 square feet of existing buildings. Over the summer, the School Committee voted to study a Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten school concept. Architectural firm DLR Group presented test fits and cost estimates to the School Building Committee on Aug. 3 and found a PreK/K program feasible on the site, at a cost expected to be less than an alternative middle school project.

The town plans to evaluate school options at Labouré and at other sites, including Gile Road, before recommending a project. If a school does not move forward, the Select Board has said it will lead a community redevelopment planning effort.

MSBA connection

Milton was accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) program in December 2024 and is selecting an architect for its feasibility study. A Feasibility Study Agreement signed in February 2026 sets the enrollment options the town can study, including PreK, K-5 elementary and middle school configurations. The MSBA does not limit which sites the town studies beyond requiring a look at the Cunningham-Collicot site, but Labouré can only be studied under the MSBA program for the enrollment options in that agreement.

If the purchase passes

During the Oct. 8 preview, Fundling described what happens if the town does not buy the property. The site is zoned for single-family residential, which also permits exempted uses such as a school or church, and could allow a Chapter 40B development. Buying the property would give the town control over the site's future use, Fundling said.

A companion warrant article, Article 7, would fund the School Building Committee to pursue architectural, engineering and project management services for a potential new school at 303 Adams St. That article is contingent on Article 6 passing, according to the Milton Times.

The Special Town Meeting begins Monday, Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Milton High School. The auditorium is also reserved for Oct. 20, 21 and 22 if the meeting runs long. Residents with questions can contact Town Administrator Nicholas Milano at 617-898-4845.