Capital committee gives positive recommendation to school roof debt‑exclusion vote; passes 2–1

The Capital Improvements Committee voted Nov. 5 to make a positive recommendation to the Select Board for the Northern Worcester regional school district roof replacement project, which the committee recorded from district materials at a total cost of $10,864,548.

Committee chair Justice Scribe led discussion about how the project should be listed in the town’s capital plan; committee members generally agreed to list the item in FY27 for planning purposes because the town’s share will appear in FY27 assessments if the district proceeds. Members also cited the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), which the district expects to reimburse up to 59% of eligible costs, as described at a district pre‑town meeting. The committee agreed the item should appear in a supplemental capital report and in the FY27 plan so townspeople and the Select Board can assess impacts on the municipal budget.

A motion to recommend the roof replacement to the Select Board was moved by Liz and seconded by Candace. The recorded vote was Liz Yes, Candace Yes and Chair Justice Scribe No; the motion passed 2–1. The chair explained his “no” vote by saying he believed the district should have presented material to the committee earlier and that last‑minute supplemental requests have been a recurring issue over the last two years.

After the recommendation motion, the committee moved to accept the draft report (including the recommendation) and voted unanimously to approve the draft for distribution to the Select Board and advisory committees.

Ending: The committee will publish the supplemental report to the town website and send it to the Select Board and advisory committee; the committee’s recommendation is advisory and the Select Board will decide how to act ahead of the district’s ballot or town meeting process.