Spencer, East Brookfield voters approve $112 million David Prouty High project

Jeff A. Chamer, Telegram & Gazette
·3 min read

SPENCER — Spencer and East Brookfield residents    voted "yes" Tuesday in a special election on a ballot initiative  to pay for a $112 million renovation of David Prouty High School, said Spencer-East Brookfield Superintendent Paul S. Haughey.

According to results posted online, 1,452 voted "yes" in Spencer out of 2,501 casting ballots (58%). The town clerk's office in East Brookfield reported that 298 out of 477 ballots cast were "yes" votes (62%).

While $44.7 million would be covered by a Massachusetts School Building Authority grant, the balance will be paid off through a 3.95% real estate tax increase over 30 years.

The hallway outside the gym at David Prouty High School, where leaks have been a constant problem.
The hallway outside the gym at David Prouty High School, where leaks have been a constant problem.

"There's a lot of good, caring, kind people who know it's time for this project," Haughey said Wednesday morning. "We've been the best-kept secret in southern Worcester County and after last night's vote, I just don't see us as being a secret much longer."

The  school, according to the Massachusetts School Building Authority website, was constructed in 1966 and is  divided into three buildings: A building, B building and C building.

While A building, which   contains the auditorium, cafeteria and a new boiler, would undergo renovations, B and C buildings would be demolished and reconstructed.

"What we'd be looking to do is really putting new classrooms in B, administrative offices, nurses conference rooms, in B; and then in C, our gymnasium and locker rooms would be all new," Haughey said.

He said the district decided to do an addition-renovation after consulting with the Massachusetts School Building Authority because it proved to be the most cost-effective option.

In June, the  authority awarded a $44.6 million grant to the district to help with the cost of construction and renovations. Haughey said the grant will likely be increased to $46.8 million because of incentives like "energy efficiencies and different green aspects."

One of the biggest needs, Haughey said, is creating more accessibility and making the building compliant with the  Americans with Disabilities Act.

The building also  has poor insulation, lack of moisture control and issues with plumbing, windows and pipes, Haughey said.

"The mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems are outdated and failing," Haughey said. "There is no fire suppression or sprinkler system in B and C buildings and parts of A."

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges put the school on probation in 2017.

While the district has made strides to improve academic issues, Haughey said,  the school is still on probation because of "facility-related" issues.

The proposal was only able to move forward after receiving the approval of residents in both Spencer and East Brookfield, who had  dotted their lawns with signs encouraging others to vote "yes" or "no."

A sign along Route 31 in Spencer urges a "no" vote on the high school renovation plan.
A sign along Route 31 in Spencer urges a "no" vote on the high school renovation plan.

The "yes" vote will exempt each town from the Proposition 2½ tax cap, which prohibits cities and towns from raising their total tax levies by more than 2.5% in a year.

Now that both towns have voted "yes," discussions about the next steps will begin at the building committee meeting next Wednesday, Haughey said.

For the next year, the committee will move onto the "design, bid, build" phase, Haughey said.

"Each part of that process requires us to work at the local level to create more detailed design work as a building committee with our technical experts and from there, we would start construction, I would say, a year from now," he said.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: David Prouty High renovation plan voted in Spencer, East Brookfield