Lowell High Panel Flags Wall, Sprinkler Risks

School Committee · Meeting of August 27, 2026

Lowell's high school building panel held its $418 million renovation on budget but clashed over refilling a canal next to a water-damaged wall. Skanska's Kevin Kane told the Lowell High School Building Committee the project has $9 million in construction contingency against $7.9 million in pending change orders, with change orders through number 49 totaling $44 million. School Committee member Bahu said water infiltration near Coburn Hall "has been a major issue at Lowell High School at that exact location for 15 years," and members pressed city official Sean Machado to delay refilling the adjacent Western Canal until a deteriorated wall is inspected.

Superintendent Skinner said the wall "should be dredged at this point." Separately, the design team flagged insufficient water pressure for a planned attic sprinkler system, with four possible fixes still unquantified. Suffolk's representative said the building is "in great shape" for roughly 3,400 students returning this week.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,671 words

Source: the School Committee meeting of August 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.