Southborough voters decline $108.5 million Neary School appropriation at special town meeting

At a special Town of Southborough meeting, voters failed to approve Article 1 — an appropriation of $108,517,205 to design, construct and equip a new Margaret A. Neary School — when the moderator ruled the tally did not meet the two-thirds threshold required for passage.

The appropriation in the motion would have authorized the town treasurer, with select board approval, to borrow the full amount under MGL Chapter 44 and anticipated the town applying for a Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) grant; the warrant language noted any MSBA grant would be discretionary and that the grant would not exceed 46.76% of eligible approved project costs as determined by the MSBA.

The vote followed more than three hours of public comment and a series of procedural motions. Voters first approved a motion to end debate and proceed to a vote; a later motion to conduct the article vote by secret ballot failed, and the final voice/hand-count on Article 1 did not reach the two-thirds majority the moderator said was required, so the appropriation failed.

Why it mattered: The proposal would have replaced the current Neary building with a roughly 99,000-square-foot, four-grade elementary school the Neary Building Committee said is intended to meet contemporary safety, accessibility and educational program standards and to reduce future capital needs across the district. Supporters argued a new building would deliver long-term operational efficiencies, enhance safety, and help retain and recruit teachers. Opponents raised the project cost, potential tax impacts, alternatives using existing buildings, and environmental risk from an adjacent, capped landfill.

Most important facts

- The motion on the floor requested $108,517,205 to design, build and equip a new Margaret A. Neary…