Building a Brighter Future for Southborough

How Can I Help?

A new school is a long-term investment in our community’s future—and your voice matters. Here's how you can get involved and help ensure this important project moves forward.

 

Vote!

An initial vote on Neary did not pass at town meeting, where a 2/3 on-site majority was required. A simple majority is required to pass or fail on the ballot. If it passes the ballot vote, there is the option to reconvene town meeting and aim for stronger turnout.

 

The ballot will ask voters to pass a proposition 2½ debt exclusion (not override) to allow funding the Neary Building Project. For voting and election information you can visit the town's website here.

 

Stay Informed

Learn about the project details—why the school is needed, how it will be funded, and the benefits it brings. Find additional information on our resources page. You can also join our email list here.

 

Talk to Friends and Neighbors

Share accurate information and answer questions. Community support builds when people hear directly from those they trust.

 

 

Write Letters or Speak Publicly

Submit a letter to mysouthborough.com or prepare a brief comment to share at the meeting. Personal stories about why this school matters help persuade undecided voters.

 

Together, we can ensure our children and educators have the safe, modern, and inspiring school environment they deserve.

Ten Things You Need to Know

What’s the cost implication of voting YES?

The total cost is $108.5M, but the town’s net share is $68.2M after state and federal contributions (a 45% reduction from initial projections). For the average Southborough home (valued at $1.175M), the highest annual tax impact would be ~$602 (around $50/month) in FY31 .The project also generates $1.2M/year in operational savings, helping offset costs. Current town debt is very low (we have no debt on current K-8 schools) so it’s a good time in our long-term capital plan.

 

What about “Plan B”?

Plan B is not up for a vote. A “no” vote really means:

• No grant funding (and moving to the back of the line to reapply, after much larger state projects like Brockton)

• No cost savings from a new, efficient building or related consolidations

• Multi-million-dollar spending on urgent repairs for Neary

• Additional multi-million-dollar updates for Finn in 5-10 years

• Future projects would likely be more expensive and take longer to fund​.

 

The ideas that some people are calling “Plan B” would not be ADA-compliant or actually meet students’ and teachers’ needs.

 

Additional thoughts on Plan B can be read here.

 

What about our vulnerable neighbors getting priced out?

We all want to prioritize our most vulnerable neighbors. The tax implications of a YES vote are negligible in the context of our overall tax obligations and rising taxes over time.

You can check this data for your own home with the tax calculator provided but the Neary Building Committee. It shows the small percentage of rising taxes due to a YES vote compared to our ongoing taxes in town. Additionally, Southborough has an abatement program. More information about the abatement program can be found on the town assessor's website.

 

What about Finn? Can we expand that building?

No. Due to the surrounding conservation land, we’re unable to expand outward. Building upward would require a completely new foundation, which means demolishing parts of a structurally sound building. Since Finn is also scheduled for other significant updates within the next 5–10 years, such a major disruption isn’t practical or cost-effective.

 

Continue reading here...

 

Neary repairs cannot be delayed.