Stoughton building committee readies community outreach ahead of April 8 debt-exclusion vote; approves overdue DRA invoice

The Stoughton Elementary School Building Committee on March 19 updated members on public outreach before an April 8 debt-exclusion vote on a proposed elementary school project, reiterated why the 1958-era South School will need to close, and approved an outstanding invoice to DRA for geotechnical work.

The committee’s chair, TJ Recupero, opened the meeting by noting the upcoming April 8 debt-exclusion vote and encouraging members to continue community outreach. “If people wanna reach out to us and can't attend … we welcome them to email TJ Recupero,” Recupero said, urging residents to review materials on the committee website.

Why South School must close

Members and administrators discussed technical and regulatory reasons the South School cannot be kept in long-term use. Recupero said a commonly cited standard is actually the Architectural Access Board regulations and that certain repairs trigger full code upgrades. “There is a rule that people usually cite it as the ADA. But in truth, it's Architectural Access Board Regulations of Massachusetts,” Recupero said, adding that the school’s equalized assessed value is about $1,300,000 and that certain repairs can force a full building upgrade. He and other speakers said the…