2000 NESDEC (New England School Development Council) study found DMS, "needs renovation/upgrade due to the age of the building" and found DHS needing, "overall renovation in the next decade".
2000 Master Facilities Plan approved
2001--03 Additions built on Chandler and Alden elementary schools; Performing Arts Center built as addition to Alden for district and town use. Town gets 67% reimbursement
2004 The state imposes moratorium on new building project requests
2007 Request submitted to new Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) for work needed on Chandler roof, DMS and DHS
2008 SBC reconvened to plan replacement of older Chandler roof and initiate planning for Duxbury Middle and High Schools
2009 SBC requests funds for a feasibility study for DMS, DHS and for replacement of the roof on the original sections of Chandler School. Voters approve; completed roof project receives 40% reimbursement
2010 Feasibility Study completed and presented at Town Meeting. MSBA invites Duxbury to collaborate on a middle and high school project in the model school program. Reimbursement estimated to be 40%
Summer, 2010 MSBA invites Duxbury to collaborate on a middle and high school project in the model school program. Reimbursement estimated at 40%.
March, 2011 $2.9M in design funds for new co-located middle and high school approved at Town Meeting and Town Election.
Spring and Summer, 2011 Design process begins: designer and owners project manager selected, educational plan developed, preliminary schematic design executed. Initial design package submitted to MSBA for approval.Actual schematic design costs coming in under budget at $1.55M.
October 29, 2011 Article 1 voted at Special Town Meeting to requires “Yes” vote by 2/3 majority.
November 5, 2011 Question on ballot for Special Town Election requires “Yes” vote by simple majority.
Winter into Spring, 2011-2012 Final design completed and project sent out for bid.*
Summer, 2012 Construction begins.*
Fall, 2014 Students occupy building.*
Fall, 2015 Building demolition and field construction complete. Project complete.*
*If funding approved.
A Primer for Town Meeting and Town Election
"Town Meeting" is a form of direct democratic rule common (some would say "uniquely“) in New England. First instituted by the Puritans as they established colonies, Town Meeting allows members of a community to come together to discuss and vote on policy and budgets for local government. It is where important decisions are made by you, the voter, concerning your town.
Town Meeting may take the form of "open" Town Meeting, where all members of the community come together annually to do the town's business, or "representative" town meeting, where townspeople elect neighborhood representatives to act on their behalf. Duxbury uses open Town Meeting.
Aspects of the annual town meeting are legislated by the state, and there are specific, defined roles for the Moderator, the Board of Selectmen, Financial Committee, and Town Clerk. Each article on the warrant is brought up, discussed, and voted upon, according to parliamentary procedure, by voice or hand count. Every registered resident is entitled to vote on any or all articles in the warrant. The warrant is published and available prior to Town Meeting and is printed in the local press. There is no absentee voting for Town Meeting. Voters must be present in order to vote. Lunch and child care are available.
The Town of Duxbury has a long and successful history of Town Meetings and Elections. Every year, Town Meeting includes the annual town operating budget and capital budget (including the school budget), changes to by-laws, land purchases, special projects such as the renovation of the Percy Walker Pool and the Tarkiln Center, and major building projects or capital purchases.
This year Town Meeting will take place on Saturday, March 12 from 9am to 5pm at the PAC. If the business of Town Meeting is not finished on Saturday, the meeting will continue on subsequent weeknights.
Two weeks later, certain issues, usually those involving capital projects, must be voted upon a second time at Town Election. At this time, voters also elect candidates for various roles in town governments such as selectman, school committee, and library trustee, just to name a few.
The Town Election will take place on Saturday, March 26 from 8am to 8pm at Duxbury Middle School. Voters may vote absentee. Absentee ballots are available at Town Hall until noon on Friday, March 25.
If you are not a registered voter, you may stop by Town Hall to register by February 18. See the Voter Information section to the right for links on where and how to register and/or vote absentee.
This year, residents will vote on the school operating budget and the school capital budget at Town Meeting, and the funds for design of a new middle school and high school at Town Meeting and Town Election. Please refer to the school website for more information on the budgets and on the proposed building project.
