Massachusetts Eyes Its Millionaire Tax for Public Campus Revamp

Most of the buildings at the University of Massachusetts were constructed in the 1950s and the 1960s, and the signs of aging are clear, President Marty Meehan says. When it rains, roofs leak. And even during harsh New England winters, students crack windows open to air out stuffy dorm rooms.

But UMass is poised for a facelift, and so are other public schools and community colleges across the state, thanks to a so-called millionaire tax that will authorize $3.65 billion in campus renovations.

Falling behind on renovations can drive away potential students, a serious risk for most colleges in the Northeast as the pool of prospective students in the region is expected to shrink by 17% by 2041.

Photographer: Lane Turner/The Boston Globe/Getty Images

If passed, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey’s BRIGHT Act will issue 10-year special obligation bonds to ...