Shawn Dahlen's Thoughts on the School Building Project

Recently we asked Shawn Dahlen, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, to share his thoughts on the school building project. Here is what he had to say:



"Building a new co-located middle/high school, as proposed by the School Building Committee (SBC), is a significant decision that affects everyone in our community. The SBC has spent countless volunteer hours deliberating the most appropriate way to update our aging school buildings and provide educational facilities for our children for the next 50 years. This process started long before our last Annual Town Meeting (ATM) and subsequent debt exclusion vote. Both of these previous votes were overwhelmingly in favor of the SBC moving forward with schematic design and cost estimates for a co-located middle/high school, on the site proposed, for which the voters approved $2.9 million of funding. At last year's ATM, the SBC told the voters the estimated cost for schematic design for a non-model school would be about $2.9 million, the new co-located middle/high school would be about $130 million including the design cost and the projected MSBA state contribution would be about 43%.

The SBC is coming back to us for the final approval, having spent $1.55 million of the approved funds for schematic design for a model school. The proposed co-located middle/high school will cost residents less than the SBC previously anticipated, and the town will receive a higher percentage of MSBA state reimbursement than projected. SBC members have done their job, as directed by our votes, and now it's time for residents to make a final decision. I urge all residents to learn as much as they can about the proposed school project so they can make a well-informed decision. The SBC has held several public informational meetings, and the DuxburyCARES website is full of information about the project.

I support this proposal because we have an obligation to provide the best educational opportunities to our children that we can, for as long as we live in our wonderful community. Education starts in the classroom with teachers, but a quality education requires a variety of positive influences, including parents, the teaching environment, and technology. I know the additional taxes required to fund this proposal will be challenging for many of our residents, especially those living on fixed incomes. That said, I hope that each of us can weigh the positives and negatives, both for ourselves and community, and vote to support this very well-thought out proposal."

Thank you, Shawn, for your support and leadership on this matter.

YES for SCHOOLS. YES on 1.
Special Town Meeting
Saturday, October 29, 2011 -- 9:00AM
Performing Arts Center, Duxbury