School building feasibility study advanced; committee approves recording secretary and outlines town votes
October 12, 2023 | Blackstone-Millville, School Boards, Massachusetts
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Members of the school building committee updated the board on outreach and public hearings tied to an MSBA feasibility process and asked the community to attend upcoming town meetings in Millville and Blackstone.
The committee confirmed Millville’s finance committee hearing is scheduled for Oct. 18 (5 p.m.) and a Blackstone public hearing on Oct. 23 (6 p.m.). The district sought approval for work on a feasibility study to scope potential renovation/renovation-plus options and emphasized that the feasibility phase is intended to determine whether proposed plans are viable.
The committee reported $500,000 was placed into the capital stabilization fund from the district’s excess and deficiency fund to support feasibility work. District staff estimated the local share to close that initial $500,000 was roughly $373,000 from Blackstone and about $126,000 from Millville; the final feasibility estimate will be developed by the vendor and could be wrapped into long-term project financing if towns approve a final project.
The school building committee asked the school committee to approve hiring an hourly recording secretary to document the building-committee proceedings and to ensure public access to feasibility study materials. The motion to approve the recording secretary was moved by Tara and seconded by Carrie and carried unanimously.
Officials cautioned that prior capital estimates (cited from 2018–19 work) showed more than $50 million in district capital needs and roughly $38–40 million tied to the high school; those numbers are preliminary and the feasibility study will refine them. Committee members noted legal and scheduling contingencies if one town approves and another does not, and they said they would consult legal counsel on next steps if town votes split.
Next procedural steps: staff will attend town meetings to answer questions, refine cost estimates through the feasibility vendor, and return to the committee with updated financing options and timelines.
The committee confirmed Millville’s finance committee hearing is scheduled for Oct. 18 (5 p.m.) and a Blackstone public hearing on Oct. 23 (6 p.m.). The district sought approval for work on a feasibility study to scope potential renovation/renovation-plus options and emphasized that the feasibility phase is intended to determine whether proposed plans are viable.
The committee reported $500,000 was placed into the capital stabilization fund from the district’s excess and deficiency fund to support feasibility work. District staff estimated the local share to close that initial $500,000 was roughly $373,000 from Blackstone and about $126,000 from Millville; the final feasibility estimate will be developed by the vendor and could be wrapped into long-term project financing if towns approve a final project.
The school building committee asked the school committee to approve hiring an hourly recording secretary to document the building-committee proceedings and to ensure public access to feasibility study materials. The motion to approve the recording secretary was moved by Tara and seconded by Carrie and carried unanimously.
Officials cautioned that prior capital estimates (cited from 2018–19 work) showed more than $50 million in district capital needs and roughly $38–40 million tied to the high school; those numbers are preliminary and the feasibility study will refine them. Committee members noted legal and scheduling contingencies if one town approves and another does not, and they said they would consult legal counsel on next steps if town votes split.
Next procedural steps: staff will attend town meetings to answer questions, refine cost estimates through the feasibility vendor, and return to the committee with updated financing options and timelines.
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