Lanesborough Selectmen Consider Surveying Residents on School Project
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Board of Selectmen are considering mailing a survey to residents to help guide its decisions regarding the Mount Greylock Regional School building project.
A draft version asks residents to choose one of the following three statements:
1) I urge the Selectmen to support the Mount Greylock project even though this project will have a noticeable effect on town property taxes because supporting education is important and also because a highly rated high school is good for the town and supports property values.
2) I urge the Selectmen to try to keep taxes as low as reasonably possible even if that means not supporting the Mount Greylock Renovation project and perhaps even having Lanesborough students go to another high school — even if the school may not be as highly rated as Mount Greylock.
3) I support none of the above choices or I support another option that is not described above. Or, I have no strong opinion on this issue.
The survey is still a ways from being mailed. The board on Tuesday night asked Town Manager Paul Sieloff to hire a consultant to re-word the questions to eliminate as much bias as possible. The thought right now is that the survey could be mailed to residents in the beginning of January and returned by the end. The town will likely have to vote on the project in March, probably as a debt exclusion. Neither Lanesborough or its partner in the regional school district, Williamstown, will have a direct vote on the project.
The draft also includes a letter from the Selectmen outlining the issue. The letter says the board is trying to keep costs down but that education accounts for two-thirds of the town's budget. The building project will add to the annual tax rate.
"There have been concerns raised that the cost of the new school project may be too high for many Lanesborough taxpayers," the letter reads.
It also notes that the Massachusetts School Building Authority will pay about half of the cost for the project but says Lanesborough could pay "as much as $14 million."
"The estimation at this time is that the renovation project will increase a resident's town property tax between $300 and $800 per household," it reads.
The letter also resurrects the idea of sending students to Hoosac Valley High School, which stems from a proposition from the town of Adams to reach a tuition agreement there. The Selectmen's letter reads that "The Adams-Cheshire Regional School is not rated academically as high as Mount Greylock" but has a number of other positives including "excellent sports teams" and a newly renovated building.
The School Committee, which is responsible for negotiating a tuition agreement, already rejected Adams' proposal. But, that hasn't stopped the Board of Selectmen's quest to find out what the residents want. The board previously considered putting a non-binding question of joining Adams-Cheshire on a special town meeting ballot but ultimately backed off.
The part renovation and part new build at Mount Greylock was last estimated at $64.8 million with the two towns splitting somewhere between $31.9 million and $35.8 million. With a newly passed agreement for capital expenses, Lanesborough's share would be calculated annually based on property values and enrollment figures.
Currently, Lanesborough would be responsible for about one-third of the district's total amount over the life of a 25- to 30-year bond. A final project budget is expected to be set by the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee next month. Lanesborough voters should have at least one chance to vote on the bonding through a debt exclusion vote at the ballot.
Tags: MGRHS school project, MSBA, survey,
