Templeton finalizes ballot questions
Kerry O'BrienNews Staff Writer
TEMPLETON — Voters will no longer be asked whether they want to pay for the construction of a new elementary school building as the first of two “non-binding” questions on the upcoming ballot for the Special Election sheduled to fill a seat on the Board of Selectmen.
“In short, question one — bad idea,” said Chairman of the Board of Selectmen Jeffrey Bennett. “Question one — in the can.”
Last week selectmen approved drafting a “non-binding” question for the ballot, which would ask voters if they approved the elementary school building project.
“I’ve had a lot of people come up and tell me they don’t support the new school,” selectman Julie Farrell said, “because of that I think we need to gauge the reaction to see if it’s true.”
However, during Monday’s meeting selectmen Kenn Robinson expressed concern that there is not enough time to educate people about the school project and a “no” vote could jeopardize the 59 percent reimbursement the Massachusetts School Building Authority has committed.
“We risk the whole deal by having this fail,” Mr. Robinson said. “The deal is contingent on the state believing that the town wants the school. There are other towns that may be begging for a new school.”
School officials also urged the board not to pose the question to voters.
“You’re going to ask people to vote based on assumption,” said school committee member Deborah Koziol. “It’s way too premature.”
The Templeton Elementary School Building Committee is using $550,000 appropriated by voters to complete a feasibility study on the matter. Once the feasibility study is complete —expected in March —officials will know the cost of the project and Templeton’s share, to present for voters approval.
Selectmen voted unanimously not to put a “non-binding” question regarding construction of an elementary school on the Jan. 14 ballot.
Selectmen then unanimously agreed to keep a second “non-binding” question on the ballot, asking voters if they would rescind the Special Acts of 2000 which removed the water department from the town’s authority and placed it under the light department’s purview.
As a non-binding question, no action will be taken as a result of the vote.
The special election is being held to fill the seat on the board that was vacated by Virginia Wilder in May 2013. The term expires in May 2014. The special election will be held Jan. 14 at Narragansett Middle School.
Vote Mitchell for selectman!
ReplyDeleteRemember the past to ensure a better future.
The nuclear option should NEVER be used.
I fear the use of the nuclear option by the school committee and superintendent of schools has jeopardized the elementary school project.
ReplyDeleteTempleton needs a new elementary school.
Will the voters support funding a new school?
I guess we'll find out whether there is support for the new school at crunch time. In my opinion, a vote would have told the town where the voters were thinking. Whatever strategic message is sent to the state, I don't care about the state. They're not Santa Claus, they're only mis-handling the money we send them, they are not giving us anything. We should stop treating them like THEY are the ones that must be convinced and start treating the voters as if they're the ones who decide whether or not we build a new school.
DeleteOne thing I would like to know: are there plans to increase or decrease staff based on locating all elementary schools in one place. Are there any new positions planned that do not exist today? Is the long-term cost to taxpayers the bond payments, the bond payments minus some savings from consolidation or the bond payments plus some additional expense from expansion?
It is my opinion that the School Building Committee is either are afraid of what they get for a answer, or they will wait until it is crunch time and try to say we have to build the school because of all the money spent. I do not know if The School Committee truly understand how badly they treated the people in this town, but I really do believe they will find out in the end. The comment about the schools being ninety years old, kind of made me chuckle. Bart's granddaughter went to St.Bernards in Fitchburg a couple of years ago. We attended a function there, and the parking was awful, the light was out on the back stairway, and the paint was peeling in the hall. This is a private school that cost a pretty penny to go to. In this case she did not go for the ambiance, she went for the education that she got from the teachers!!! The School Department will not spend a penny on maintaining the buildings when they need it, but will rack up enough things wrong to dump the problem on the community. What we have is a public school in a poor community whether they like that fact or not. The administration is as fat as the administration at Light and Water, and in my way of thinking way over the top for what we are able to provide for financial support. It is good we have land to build on when that day comes, and I understand some people have a problem with building it on Crow Hill, but don't forget the taxpayer has already spent $200,000. looking for land and came out with 0. It is beyond me how they could manage that, but they did. II think it would be good for the Advisory Board to ask some of the questions Mark did, just to see if he gets a answer. Bev.
DeleteHmm, maybe if you went to SC meetings, you would be able to get the answers to those questions.
DeleteInstead of constantly bitching about the SC & what you think is or is not good for our children & our community, GO TO A MEETING!
Most people don't go to meetings, most people would have the same questions. If the answers are known, the info should be published. That is known as voter information, so that folks go into the booth knowing what's going on.
ReplyDeleteIt's substantive, much different than all the rah-rah-rah noise that some folks think substitutes for government transparency. Voters need information, not a Booster Club acting as a political action committee. The questions above were asked when the new high school was built. We should have that info provided willingly, not extracted through tortured word games intended to confuse and obfuscate.
How bout we use commom sense then? Obviousely, if you combine multiple buildings into one new one, the overall cost, including staff, would go down. Everything from less Janitors, to fewer principals, to cheaper to heat. Plus, Im sure it would streamline out some if the Paraproffesionals.
Deleteelementary schools are already allowed to share principles and they are also allowed to have teaching principles. I went to the last school committee meeting and the scheduled budget talks were post poned so I did not learn anything on budget. So huff, were you at the last scholl committee meeting?
DeletePuffy,
DeleteIf common sense were common, the Town would not be in the position it is in. On the face of it , it does appear that closing two schools , after the new elementary school is built would result in lower operational costs.
Again " In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice, in practice there is"
Where have the "cost savings" from the new high school gone?
Lets reverse your argument.... Where have the cost savings from not paying your stipends gone?
DeleteIt would be an easy sell Huffy if that were the case. Lets see the data and get it out there. How many jobs can be cut and when.The amount of the staff cost would decrease by ? No need to wonder if the sc puts the data out and informs us voters. I would have a problem if the cost saveings would only be a selling point and did not actually happen in the end.
ReplyDeleteNow THAT I agree with.
DeleteWhen the new high school opened, overhead increased. They added a principal and who knows what else.
DeletePuffy, you do not need to be a Rhodes Scholar to know we have to many principals and vice principals in a small school system. We do not have a high school and middle school filled with gangs, looking for a opportunity to take each other out.Just where did the money the override that passed go?? What did it do for the kids?? The school system is as bad as the Light Company, as it is to fat at the top, and that does not mean that the kids learn any more, or receive anything that they did not get with out the override. Hard times are here to stay for a while, so all of the town departments need to watch their money, and I can say they have. This does not give the schools or the Light Departments a ticket to spend what they want because the money is not there, like it or not.
DeleteObviousely the money was there Bev. And being a Vice-Principal has almost nothing to do with gangs. How bout you look up the job descriptions before you spout off. I guarantee neither you or I could do any one of them.
Delete