Repairs to the Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School building could cost Carver taxpayers more than building a new school, according to school superintendent Aaron Polansky.
After failing to get the project approved by voters in November, Old Colony school leaders are proposing it for a second time, hoping for a different outcome. Polansky discussed the school’s $288 million building project to Select Board and Finance Committee members during a joint meeting on Tuesday, June 2.
“We didn’t do as good a job as we could have in expressing that there’s really no zero-cost option,” Polansky said about the failed project proposal last year. “Every option will significantly impact taxpayers. The Old Colony building requires a major investment regardless of vote outcome.”
According to Polansky, a revote approving the project is the most “fiscally responsible” option. He said that not voting for the new Old Colony building would be walking away from a $129 million Massachusetts School Building Authority grant offered to help pay for the project.
The grant, alongside $11 million in incentives, would offset more than half the cost of the project. That leaves Old Colony’s five member towns to foot a $148 million bill, cheaper than the estimated $157 million cost to repair the school over time.
While repairing Old Colony immediately costs an estimated $134 million, according to project leaders, the school plans to divide its repairs into three phases over eight years. Adjustments for inflation increases the cost to member towns over time.
Project leaders have insisted that the current Old Colony school building has “reached the end of its useful life.” The current school was built in 1975 and needs updates to meet today’s accessibility, building and energy code requirements, according to the Old Colony Building Project’s website.
A new building could also allow the vocational technical school to expand its program offerings, adding dedicated spaces for plumbing, HVAC and dental assisting programs.
The new building comes with a cost. If approved, Carver is expected to contribute an estimated $26.6 million to the new school project.
Carver could fund its share through a debt exclusion, which would temporarily increase taxes so the town could borrow funds until a 30-year bond is paid off, after which the increase would expire.
According to a tax impact calculator from the Old Colony Building Project, the owner of a Carver home valued at the town average of $547,259 would pay an additional $322.88 per year. .
Still, Polansky said multiple times in the meeting that there is no zero-cost option. Should the vote not pass, the school would seek funds for repairs. Over time, these repairs would cost the average Carver homeowner an additional $339.30 per year.
“A no vote does not eliminate costs to taxpayers,” Polansky said.
According to Polansky, a failed revote could result in repeated requests to fund repairs from Old Colony member towns over the next eight years. Any future request for funds, whether for repairs or another building project, requires approval from voters at Town Meeting.
Select Board member John Cotter asked if Old Colony would be in danger of “going out of business” if the revote fails and towns keep rejecting future requests for repair money.
“That’s my biggest fear,” Polansky said. “Where does that put us? And where does that put our towns?”
Finance Committee members praised the project at the end of their meeting.
“There’s no question about the need,” Finance Committee Chair Patrick Meagher said about a new Old Colony school. “The need is dire and it needs to be addressed as soon as possible.”
Meagher added that he believes all communities need a good vocational school.
“It’s just as important as their local school,” he said. “There’s a bunch of kids in every community that just thrive under that environment and that is extremely important.”
Meagher said that the Massachusetts School Building Authority grant is the method to build a new school that is the “most cost efficient and with the best results.”
Voters in Carver, Lakeville, Acushnet, Mattapoisett and Rochester will decide the project’s fate at the polls on Saturday, June 20. Polls are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Carver Middle High School gymnasium.
Contact Nick Mossman at nick@carverjournal.com
