Town Of Wakefield: Vocational School District-Wide Election Jan. 25

Press release from the Town of Wakefield:

December 14, 2021 - 3:57pm

Although voters at Wakefield's Town Meeting approved 100-to-6 an article allowing the Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School District Committee (NMRVC) to borrow funds for the construction of a new building on Hemlock Road, the matter will be taken up at a special election on January 25 in all 12 municipalities that the school services: Chelsea, Malden, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Revere, Saugus, Stoneham, Wakefield, Winchester, Winthrop, and Woburn.

Like Wakefield, voters in Stoneham and North Reading recently approved the article at Town Meetings this fall. However, if any member community rejects the request, a district-wide election is required; Saugus and Chelsea did not approve the funding. Last week, the NMRVC voted to hold the district-wide election on Tuesday, January 25, 2022.

Wakefield residents can cast their votes on Tuesday, January 25 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Galvin Middle School, 525 Main Street. Massachusetts general law requires that polling be open no fewer than four and no greater than eight hours for such an election. The NMRVC shall reimburse each community for the cost of the election.

The project, which will receive up to $140.8 million in funding from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, will not only address deficiencies in the building itself, but will also modernize the space for 21st century vocational training and increase student capacity. Currently, the school has an annual wait list of almost 400 students. The project costs for individual communities will be based on anticipated student enrollment. As of October 2021, the school serviced 100 students from Wakefield, or 7.81 percent of its total enrollment. Additional information on the project can be viewed at https://northeastbuildingproject.com.

The last day to register to vote in this election is January 5, 2022. Residents who are not registered to vote may register to vote online; at the Registry of Motor Vehicles; or in person at the Office of the Town Clerk at 1 Lafayette Street. If an absentee ballot is needed, applications are available online.

Any residents who are unsure whether they are registered to vote or who have election-related questions can contact Town Clerk Betsy Sheeran at 781-246-6383.

This press release was produced by the Town of Wakefield.The views expressed here are the author's own.