Dale SBC Chair Touts Flexibility of a Failed Vote

(Updated to clarify where author opinions have been inserted.)

In early fall, as the Medfield Warrant Committee began to delve into details of the proposed elementary school project coming before voters at Nov. 7 Special Town Meeting, Dale Street School Building Committee Chair Mike Quinlan clarified project information for members.

In a Sept. 9, 2021 e-mail that Quinlan sent to two Warrant Committee members, he outlined his view of a failed vote and the options available to the Town. The e-mail was obtained from a public records request.

In his message, Quinlan noted that flexibility would be a benefit of bypassing the MSBA process and that a smaller school could be built for $60 million.

Quinlan did not express a sense of urgency with regard to addressing current Dale Street School building conditions.

Here are the points from the e-mail:

"In terms of a failed vote, my view is that it leaves us with 4 options:

1. Do nothing (no new school we live with Dale). Obviously the least likely option.

2. Do a project on our own without the MSBA's assistance. If we decline the MSBA reimbursement we have more flexibility. This project allows us to build a project for $63M town share and 575 kids. I estimate that for that same amount, without saving a dime, we could build our own school for 420 students. Now if we wanted to save $, we might be able to shave a few million but it would be awfully short sighted to build a $60M school that has no room for growth. Frame of reference, current enrollment is 391 for 4-5 this year. (Author: At the same time, COVID-19 and technology are fundamentally changing the delivery of education, staff collaboration and parent interaction.)

3. If the vote is close (say 65% or 66%) we can try to re-vote the same project within 120 days. Note, it must be the same project.

4. If the vote is not close (say 60%/40%), then we need to withdraw our SOI (Statement of Interest) from MSBA and apply to be readmitted into the program. The earliest that would happen would be December next year..." (Author: However, the MSBA website states the submittal deadline is typically in April each year.)

Quinlan also noted in his e-mail these debatable points (followed by author opinions):

• It would take a "minimum of 1.5 years to get approvals and perform that (design) work." (Yet at the Jan. 2, 2018 Board of Selectmen meeting, SBC member and school building professional Tim Bonfatti remarked that the MSBA feasibility phase is six months. With the current Dale Street School project, the Educational Plan has already been developed and preliminary site studies were conducted all saving time and money.)

• "In order to fund that (a new feasibility study), we would need to get Town Meeting approval on the appropriation which means the earliest we could start would be May of next year." (However, a Special Town Meeting can be called at anytime.)

• Escalation "is real and easily proven out." (While true to a certain point, COVID-19 has altered the typical pattern. According to the 1st quarter 2021 report of the Associated General Contractors of America, "Materials prices do eventually reverse course. Owners and contractors alike will benefit when that happens."

Selectman Mike Marcucci has stated on at least two occasions that if the Special Town Meeting vote fails, he would not be eager to re-enter the MSBA program. At the Oct. 19, 2021 Board of Selectmen meeting, he remarked that "a failed vote would not be a catastrophe."

It's not uncommon for school districts to abandon the MSBA program and pursue school building projects on their own after a failed vote. Tisbury is the latest example.

Based on 2019 MSBA records, site selection was said to be a reason that four projects failed to achieve the necessary Town approval. At least two cited insufficient community engagement as a contributing factor.

Click here to view the e-mail in full between Dale SBC Chair Mike Quinlan and Warrant Committee members.

The author is an officer with Keep Dale@Dale Coalition.