Mass. commitment to life science industry trickles down to benefit Framingham schools

FRAMINGHAM — Back in 2008, state Sen. Karen Spilka secured a piece of legislative funding that would allow for the expansion of water and sewer services on New York Avenue in Framingham, near the Southborough line.

"In 2008, when the state passed the Life Sciences Development Bill , I was very lucky in securing the largest earmark in that bill for the interceptor for water and sewer," Spilka said Monday during an event at pharmaceuticals giant Sanofi where more than $13 million in state grants were awarded. "Nobody thought that was really important, it's not very sexy, but it went to the Town of Framingham to put in the ground and enable companies to grow and expand here."

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But that investment has paid off immensely. Laboratory space was constructed along the Route 9 corridor, including an expansive set of properties owned by Sanofi , the French pharmaceutical company on New York Avenue. Framingham has become a hub for life science development, and that status was further cemented when Framingham Public Schools was awarded a grant of $159,617 on Monday to help further life science education.

Mass. Life Sciences Center distributes $13.1M in grants

The grant comes from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center , a quasi-public agency that promotes life science education and development in Greater Boston. During Monday's event at Sanofi, the MLSC announced $13.1 million in grant awards to local developments, through the STEM Equipment and Professional Development Grant Program, and the Workforce Development Capital Grant Program .

Besides Framingham Public Schools, Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School in Upton received $59,716 in funding.

Massachusetts Secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development Yvonne Hao , who co-chairs the MLSC board of directors, was on hand Monday to discuss the contributions being made to the area.

"We have $13 million going to over 50 different organizations," Hao said. "A bunch of these awards are to all different research centers for capital equipment, to enable the next generation of discovery. The other chunk is going to schools like Framingham, where we can train and educate our young people earlier on about all these different career paths and opportunities.

Funding for teacher development, purchase of equipment

The STEM Equipment and Professional Development Grant Program awards grant funding to schools and curriculum providers for teacher professional development and the purchase of equipment, materials, supplies and technology needed to support new or expanded curriculum. Funding enables schools to educate students in real-world scenarios that will prepare them for career opportunities in the life sciences.

Framingham Superintendent of Schools Robert Tremblay said the funding coming to FPS will be used as part of a new curriculum that's aimed at getting high school students more familiar with the life sciences and biotechnology field, to get them better informed about pursuing it as a potential career.

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"One area we have seen that we have a deficit in is how can we connect our students to the industry," Tremblay said. "If kids are going to college to pursue something in the biotech field, how can we get them excited at the school level so that they and their parents can know that this is something they want to invest their money in, so they can make a more informed career decision."

The additional grant funding can help make up for the disappointing state aid figure the district was given for fiscal 2025, which was only about 1% higher than the previous year. Tremblay called the funding an investment that MLSC and life science companies such as Sanofi are making in communities.

"The benefit of having the funding allows us to do the work, but also even if this were affordable within the budget, the idea that we have an external partner that sees the vision that partnering with students and schools, sends a really powerful message in the community, that the school and the industry have a partnership that is forged," he said.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Mass. commitment to life science industry trickles down to benefit Framingham schools