Committee discusses MSBA eligibility, $60M facility needs and town outreach before a feasibility vote

Superintendent Jason DeFalco reported the district has been accepted into the MSBA pipeline and said the eligibility period begins June 1, starting the process toward a feasibility study that will produce options for renovation, addition/renovation or a new building.

Members repeatedly emphasized the scope and scale of capital needs: a prior facility study, referenced during the meeting, estimates roughly $60,000,000 to address building systems, asbestos remediation and other structural work. "The bulk of that $60,000,000 is right in this building," the superintendent said, noting the building dates to 1969 and many major systems (boilers, roofs, windows) are near or past their useful life.

Committee and finance members focused on the political and procedural challenges: a feasibility-study warrant (often about $1,000,000 in the discussion) must be approved by both towns at separate town meetings and, if voters decline subsequent project funding, the district could be left repaying short-term feasibility borrowing. One member urged robust pre-vote outreach: "You're going to have a very hard sell for $1,000,000 for a feasibility study if you can't tell the people what you're trying to get out of the feasibility study before they approve it," the member said.

Officials outlined next steps: form a building committee, certify a design enrollment for MSBA, collect comparable feasibility reports or MSBA examples for town review, and prepare clear messaging explaining feasibility deliverables and potential follow-on costs. Committee members noted some existing capital debt (middle-school bonds) will drop off in 2025, which could provide future capacity in the capital plan.

The district committed to sharing the slide deck, MSBA process notes and more detailed budget and capital information with town administrators and finance committees before warrants are posted.