Community Member Feedback on "Plan B"

Written by Eric Fernandez & shared in Southborough's community Facebook Group 

Is Plan B an actual plan? Specifically putting grade 5 with 6-8 and shuttering Neary? I’ve seen this consistently but I’ve also read the words it’s a recognition of needing to take another look at other options.

 

If the Plan B proposal is to consolidate schools I would point to the fact that this was reviewed by the NBC and deemed not a feasible option. This was not because we don’t have the space, the NBC clearly acknowledges we do have the space. However this option was not recommended because the consensus from educators and survey data was that putting 5th graders with 6-8 was not appropriate and would lower the quality of education and not foster the type of environment of learning that is desired.

 

If you don’t feel that having 5th graders with 6-8 is a big deal, disagree with educators or the norm at our comparable sister towns then that is your opinion and your right. However please do not spread the idea that this wasn’t considered or taken seriously.

 

If you believe that Plan B is the need to look for other more fiscally responsible plans I would ask that you take the time to review the years of recorded public meetings, survey data and configurations that have been reviewed. To suggest the NBC, Advisory, Capitol and SB haven’t done this is unfair and untrue. You may disagree with their conclusion, that is again your right. However let’s please recognize that a large number of volunteers have spent countless hours working on this process. Hundreds of public meetings with public input, surveys to residents, paid consultants, time researching and dialoguing with other schools and working with the state. This has been an exhausting and thorough process for all involved and the work is not done.

 

The Extent of Planning

Pointing to there not being a back up plan as a way to show incompetence or lack of thorough planning is another consistent theme that I believe is unfair and misleading. When the NBC has been asked this question their answer has been consistent. They would meet to review all comments from the special town meeting and evaluate next steps.

 

This is how our town government functions and the job that NBC was tasked with. They set out to evaluate options, solicit public feedback, collaborate with experts and bring forth their recommendation on the best path forward. Their task was not to come up with an A and B option. The goal was to work towards the best option for us to move forward working in partnership with the state through evaluating all possibilities. This was their charger, and what they have done. Remember this charge was voted on at a previous town meeting.

Plain and simple, we’re voting up or down on a plan of action. Which has been painstakingly reviewed and worked on by many and in accordance with open meeting laws and governing rules set forth by the town and state.

 

The Financial Impact

I want to start off by recognizing that everyone has their own financial situation to consider and I greatly admire the concern many have for others and the diversity of our town. I do not disagree that a large capitol project has a real impact and puts the burden on us the tax payers and I am similarly very nervous about the increased taxes we’re all facing in coming years. However this is another area that I see consistent misinformation being stated. Here are a few of the ones I’ve read the most.

 

• State money isn’t guaranteed.
  • This is simply false, if the town votes yes at town meeting and at the ballot box on Tuesday the state funding is allocated.
• Plan B and/or a no vote and renovating is more cost effective.
  • If you review the tax impact calculator on the NBC website you can compare the impact of a yes vote and a no vote based on your address. If you haven’t done this you should. For me there is a $474 difference over 8 years between a No vote and a Yes vote. Let that sink in. This is accounting for necessary renovations BUT not extensive renovations with a No vote, meaning a No vote could easily become MORE expensive. The estimated costs associated with a no vote doesn’t give us an improved school, it kicks the can down the road and covers the required maintenance and repairs. For me, this is a no brainer. I’ll take the new school.
  • I recognize this calculator doesn’t stretch out over 30 years, this would be impossible. It also cannot be perfect but if you take the time to review the detailed budget and watch the presentation done to the SB by Andrew Pfaff who spent an incredible amount of time to create this calculator I think you’ll gain a lot of insights into this.
  • From a tax burden standpoint, as modeled by the tax impact calculator, the fiscally responsible choice is clear, it’s a yes vote.
• The costs / tax impact calculations are best case scenario.
  • This is false. As consistently stated by the NBC, members of Advisory and others who have worked on this, the financials put forth are considered conservative and include buffers. Where they had the opportunity to round a cost up or down, they rounded UP. Where there were potential savings they didn’t feel there was a very high degree of certainty they left them out.
  • There is a $12M buffer in the project budget to account for unforeseen increases in costs.
  • There is a back up plan if the $4M geothermal reimbursement is not available even though this is unlikely.
  • The town has a history of coming in under budget on capital projects, example the public safety building.
  • They have a plan to navigate the impact of prolonged tariffs through how they procure supplies.
  • They have a legal requirement to stay within budget and there are guardrails for the town should the cost of the project go over the proposed budget that would halt the process before we ever break ground.
  • The tax impact calculator DOES account for renovations at Finn and other schools that the town has either approved or is slated to undertake in the coming years. The NBC is focused on the project costs associated with the building project but work has been done to provide residents a transparent tool to look at the impact to their tax burden taking into consideration the overall picture.
• This project will make the town unaffordable for many.
  • I take issue with this statement not because of the real financial impact. Let’s be clear the town is ALREADY unaffordable for many and if we vote yes or no the town will become more unaffordable. Our taxes are going up significantly over the next several years unrelated to Neary. This is a much broader issue and something that needs to be addressed. However Neary is not the big bad wolf and when you weigh a yes or no vote using the tax impact calculator that becomes very clear.
• Instead of building a school we need to invest in other projects to change the tax basis.
  • These are two separate topics. The town has to make a decision related to its schools and either way there are real and large costs.
  • Fixing the tax burden and specifically the lack of tax revenue from businesses has been a hot topic for years. Sewer systems, zoning improvements, more cooperative town boards etc. There is no silver bullet and I would not bet the educational needs of our kids on the town figuring out how to attract more businesses.