Referendum QA2

Q: What exactly will we be voting on in Tuesday's  referendum? What are the next steps if it passes? if it fails?

A:  The ballot for Tuesday’s referendum will be a yes/no question as follows:

“SHALL THE TOWN APPROPRIATE $78,141,446 TO FUND THE COSTS OF THE NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROJECT AND AUTHORIZE BONDS OR NOTES AND TEMPORARY NOTES OF THE TOWN IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $63,295,000 TO FINANCE A PORTION OF THE APPROPRIATION?” 

With this, the full cost of the New School Project ($78,141,446) must be approved in order to qualify for state funding.  The second part of the question, however, stipulates that the town will not bond more than $63,295,000 for the project.  The ballot, then, is to approve the town to spend $63,295,000 for the new school.

If the referendum passes, the next step would be to complete the extensive application for state funding, which is due on June 30th.  We would then wait until we hear if we are on a state priority list (tentatively December 2019) to proceed.

If the referendum fails, the town would need to evaluate the voting response to determine the next steps, which may involve modifying the new school proposal, revising school configuration, or reexamining renovation options.

Return to FAQ List