Rochester’s Select Board Monday questioned Old Colony Vocational-Technical High School officials on the $288 million plan to construct a new state-of-the-art facility on the North Avenue campus that could require a debt exclusion override to fund.
Town Administrator Cameron Durant began the discussion with Principal Aaron Polansky, school Business Manager Sarah Griffith, and technical consultant Walter Hartley, Jr. by summarizing the two questions being asked by the community. What is the rationale behind repair versus new building? And what will new operational costs be for a new building?
The state School Building Authority’s reimbursement for the new school’s price tag is projected to be $129M. But the share of the remaining costs among district members (Acushnet, Carver, Lakeville, Mattapoisett, and Rochester) is approximately $159M. As a result, in Rochester, two warrants will be up for a vote at the November 18 Special Town Election that will also be district-wide. One warrant will ask all district voters to approve the new building plan. The other will be the town’s question seeking approval of a debt exclusion override to fund its share of the new construction.
Hartley responded to Durant by pointing out any renovations costing 30-percent or more of a municipal building’s assessed value will require the entire facility be reconstructed to meet expensive full accessibility standards, and this will lead to the requirement that it meet all other modern building and safety codes. Old Colony’s assessed property value of $17,029,600 would trigger that. These upgrades would still be complicated and expensive.
Select Board Chair Adam Murphy then asked what he considered his most important concern. What if the district-wide question to build a new school doesn’t pass? Is there an alternative plan to address serious building deficiencies? Will the current building have to lock its doors?
Hartley said the school will not have to close its doors, but the building doesn’t have another 20-year life span. He said on November 19, a new planner for a new design will have to be found. Polansky agreed that district officials will have to figure out renovation and upgrade costs on November 19 if the building plan is voted down. There is no alternative plan, he said. He added that his first priority would be replacing the school’s deteriorating water tank. Both men said this type of planning would be long, complicated, and just as expensive. Griffith described such planning as a matter of a lot of what-ifs and unknowns. Polansky said that while operational costs will certainly go up with a new facility, the school will be very ‘collaborative’ with district members over how these new plans will be made.
Murphy then emphasized that Rochester voters need more information to make an informed decision on November 18. He strongly recommended that in time for the district-wide election official prepare a visual presentation of the timeline for a new building and/or necessary renovations, and the costs to the town and the taxpayer. Polansky said he could do that. He noted Old Colony will host a presentation of the plan at the school on October 27 and has visited area senior centers with that presentation.
In other action, the board approved the contract to repair the Highway Barn to Lepage and Sons Roofing for $128,750. Durant noted this is good news because the annual town meeting appropriation for this use was $200,000.
Durant announced the SEMASS PILOT payment for September 2025 is $423,634.
Durant’s noted his FY27 Budget Letter to department heads will ask a deadline to receive all budget proposals of December 5.
The next meeting of the Rochester Select Board is scheduled for Monday, November 3 at 6:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.
Rochester Select Board
By Michael J. DeCicco