Council backs Keefe Tech board after cost warnings

Select Board · Meeting of October 6, 2026

Framingham City Council appointed or reappointed three Keefe Tech School Committee members after its chair warned the school's rebuild could be the most significant financial threat to Framingham if not managed well. Chairman King told nominees Maria Martinez, Mahmoud Akhtar and Bill Phillips that state law could leave Framingham paying 75 percent of a rebuild "and no say at all as to whether it gets approved." Councilor Cannon pegged the likely cost near $400 million, citing the rejected Whittier vocational school project, while nominee Phillips cited "the huge $500 million project," a discrepancy left unresolved. Akhtar confirmed the school committee has not chosen between bonding or a ballot vote to fund construction.

The council also confirmed Eric Johnson as permanent DPW director, reauthorized its Opioid Stabilization Fund, and heard City Clerk Lisa Ferguson detail November 3 election logistics, including that 81 percent of more than 10,000 requested mail ballots have gone out.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,516 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of October 6, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.