FAQ – What happens if the project does not pass?

If there is a no vote at the Special Town Meeting on May 10^th or the ballot vote on May 13^th to exclude the debt from Proposition 2 1/2, the NBC would convene an open public meeting with the Select Board and Southborough School Committee to discuss the next steps.  Ultimately, it would be up to the Select Board to decide whether to hold another Special Town Meeting and/or request another ballot vote.  Per MSBA policy, the Town has 120 days to secure the funding for the project from the date of the MSBA board vote (April 30, 2025), absent an approved extension.  Currently, this date would be August 28, 2025.

The Southborough School Committee, in conjunction with the School Administration would need to determine how much longer students can safely remain in the Neary School without meaningful infrastructure upgrades.

If the decision was made to close Neary all together and not pursue the required infrastructure upgrades, then students would have to be consolidated into the remaining Southborough K-8 school facilities. The Southborough School Committee has voted unanimously to support Grade 5 remaining in an elementary school building and not placing it at the Trotter Middle School.  This means that Pre K through Grade 5 would need to be consolidated into the Finn and Woodward Schools.  Based on current enrollment, this would require immediate temporary modular classrooms and a formal plan for permanent renovations at one or both of these schools.  In a best case scenario, it would take approximately three years to get back to the same part of the process that we are currently in with the MSBA, so it is highly likely that the Town would need to incur 100 % of these proposed expenses.

If the decision was made at a future town meeting to make the immediate upgrades required to continue to safely occupy Neary, students would need to be temporarily relocated in accordance with the relocation plan already in place for the proposed new four grade school.  This would come at significant one-time cost for the temporary classrooms and set up a situation whereby the Neary and Finn Schools would need significant rehab and/or new construction in the next 10 or so years, both at the same time. It would also mean that the operational efficiencies (both operations and financially) and educational plan that are proposed as part of this project would not be realized.