$305M B-P school project OK'd in very close election. Here's how your town voted.
Unofficial results are in and it looks like Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School will be getting a new building after 50 years.
By a very close margin, the multi-community referendum vote proposing a brand new $305 million dollar facility passed.
Determined through an aggregated vote, a total of 6,400 people from seven communities came out to vote on Saturday. There were 3,353 "yes" votes in favor of a new building for B-P, while 3,047 voted "no." The total "yes" votes amounted to 52.4% of the vote.
"As a District we are grateful to our sending communities for their support of a new
school building, and ensuring a 21st century career technical education for future
generations at Bristol-Plymouth," said B-P Superintendent Alexandre Magalhaes in a statement thanking the voters.
Originally built in 1972 and located in Taunton, B-P serves Taunton, Raynham, Middleboro, Berkeley, Bridgewater, Dighton and Rehoboth.
Of the estimated $305 million dollars, taxpayers will pay for 60% of that price tag, or $180 million, with the rest paid for by the state’s Massachusetts School Building Authority.
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Had the referendum not passed, the school would have still been required to undergo extensive repairs and upgrades to the old facility, estimated to cost $137 million, none of which was eligible for reimbursement by the state.
“It’s a great opportunity to build a new school. We would have been still on the hook for the repairs, so it makes complete sense,” said Estele Borges, a Taunton representative on the B-P school committee and a Taunton City Council member.
Borges has been a strong advocate for this proposal, doing as much outreach as she can through official public presentations on the project.
“I understand its difficult for the taxpayers. It’s a huge price tag, I’m not going to deny it. Education and public safety will never be things I will cut back on,” said Borges, who is also a graduate of the B-P class of 1986.
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“If you just do it in pieces, then eventually you’d have to upgrade everything. In the long run, will you really be saving?” said Timothy J. Holick, Raynham representative on the B-P school board, before the Saturday vote.
Holick emphasized how much the school has saved over the years by delaying repairs and even having students do some of the low-risk maintenance work as assignments. Said Holick, “We do a lot of things ourselves. The kids have done a lot, but they can’t do these kinds of projects. We’ve stretched this school to the limit.”
Love from the city
Through future votes, it will be up to each community to determine how they will pay for their portion, such as through a multi-year debt exclusion, cash reserves, or taking it out of general funding annually.
Under the approved proposal, Taunton will be responsible for 41% of the total cost to the communities.
Within the city limits of Taunton sentiment was more in favor of the new B-P building than against. In Taunton, 67.1% of the total 2,092 voters who came out voted yes.
"We’re definitely for the students. It’s a good training ground. Not all kids want to go to college, but they still have the option. It’s important to invest in our children’s future," said Andrew Larrimore, who, along with his wife Joanne, voted in favor the referendum at the East Taunton Elementary School poll site.
Over at Joseph H. Martin School, Mary McCaffrey voted in favor of the new building because she doesn't see much of its technology and infrastructure as up-to-date as it should be for today's students.
"I feel the technological resources have to be there for the kids. What's been used since the 80's isn't viable," she said.
Her husband William McCaffrey agreed but had another reason for voting yes. He sees B-P as a good outlet for special needs kids who tend to thrive at vocational skills.
"We need to train them, educate them, take care of them. Otherwise, they will fall by the wayside. I don't want higher taxes, but its needed," he said.
Elsewhere, at James L. Mulcahey Elementary School, Shane O'Brien with wife Tinique were thinking about the choices their kids will have in the future, which is why they voted in favor of the project.
"This gives the children better options. We own a house here. We're invested in the city," Shane said.
Shifting sentiment the further out you venture
Several of the smaller communities didn't share this sentiment. Opposition to the project was vocal, especially in Dighton, Berkley and Rehoboth, where financial worries were a primary factor and far fewer students make up the total student body at Bristol-Plymouth.
Over in Dighton, only 35% of the voter turnout voted yes to the referendum. Similarly, percentages of yes votes in Berkley and Rehoboth were 34.3% and 29.5%, respectively.
A group of 20 or so protesters, calling themselves #NotoBP, picketed the entrance to Dighton Elementary School.
"Simply put, we can't afford it. There is an innumerable amount of things this town has to deal with," said Tom Gallucci, Dighton resident, who referenced the need for the town to build a new fire station and two new bridges first, as well as overcrowding and maintenance issues Dighton Elementary School is facing.
Gallucci emphasizes he's not against Bristol-Plymouth or greater educational opportunities for its students.
"B-P is a great school. My son graduated from there. I'm raising a family of four. We're stretched to the limit," Gallucci said.
Bill Moore, one of the founders of #NotoBP, stated at the picket line he was "greatly opposed to the cost for the new building."
Dighton resident Robert Woods said that worsening economic factors, like other costs in town and increased taxes and fuel prices, were enough reason to delay this project.
“I’m voting no at this time. I’m all for the children and their education, but this is really poor timing,” Woods.
The district's project consultants estimated in a recent presentation that the annualy property tax impact on the average single-family home in each community would be: Berkley $285; Bridgewater $131; Dighton $241; Middleboro $178; Raynham $217; Rehoboth $110; and Taunton $194.
Prior to the vote, Dighton rep for the B-P School Committee, Edward F. Dutra Jr. explained that he understood adding to the financial burden families in his town are already concerned about, pointing to an expensive water main project planned for Dighton.
Said Dutra: “The school has outgrown the building itself. I know it’s a tough time, but it’s something that needs to be done to support the students and the trades that come back and affect our communities.”
Here’s how each city and town voted. These are unofficial results:
Taunton:
Yes: 1404
No: 688
Total voted yes: 67.1%
Raynham:
Yes: 475
No: 420
Total voted yes: 53.1%
Dighton:
Yes: 309
No: 573
Total voted yes: 35%
Bridgewater:
Yes: 365
No: 160
Total voted yes: 69.5%
Berkley:
Yes: 172
No: 329
Total voted yes: 34.3%
Rehoboth:
Yes: 257
No: 613
Total voted yes: 29.5%
Middleboro:
Yes: 371
No: 264
Total voted yes: 58.4%
This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: New $305M Bristol-Plymouth project approved in close vote
