The Elementary School Building Committee and School Committee had a joint virtual meeting on June 20, 2024 to discuss how to proceed after the debt exclusion vote on June 11 to fund a new consolidated elementary school in Stoughton did not pass. The members of the Building Committee present, with support from the School Committee, voted unanimously to approve submitting a letter to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) that seeks their permission to revote the project and ask for the Select Board to set an election date in the fall for the revote.
The Building Committee had 10 days to respond to the MSBA following the results of the debt exclusion vote, and one of the options was to ask for a revote. We feel this is the best option to be able to build the most cost effective and efficient elementary school building, while also being able to take advantage of the more than $47 million in state funding that will not be available if the project is not approved by voters.
Failing to ask for a revote would result in this project not moving forward. However, the need to address the condition of the South School remains and construction costs will continue to increase. In order to receive state funding, we would have to start from the very beginning of the process with the MSBA, submitting a new Statement of Interest (SOI). This delays the project by several years. Going forward without state funding results in still costly band-aid solutions that are fully funded by Stoughton taxpayers and do not provide the opportunity to adequately expand the building or offer current, up-to-date educational spaces.
It is important to note that there are parameters around asking the MSBA for a revote. We can alter some aspects of the project, but cannot make changes that alter the educational plan, which the MSBA has already approved. Therefore, we would not be allowed to reduce the size of the school, change its location, etc. What we can do is explore ways to reduce costs that stay within the approved scope of the project. Our project team has confidence it can reduce roughly 10% of the town share of the project cost.
We heard the voters and understand the cost concerns. But we believe that asking the MSBA for a revote allows us to revise the project (within the allowable parameters), and we ask voters to consider this revision as it truly is the best proposal to meet the educational goals of the district, replace two elementary schools for less than the cost of building two separate new buildings, and maximize our ability to collect tens of millions of dollars in funding from the state.
We will continue to provide updates and will let you know when the MSBA has responded to our request for a revote.