Walpole To Hold Fall Town Meeting On Saturday

WALPOLE, MA - Walpole will hold its Special Town Meeting on Saturday, Oct. 23 at the Walpole High School football field at 10 a.m. to consider approving the proposal for a combined middle school at the site of the current Bird Middle School.

A debt exclusion will need to be authorized by Town Meeting members in order for the proposed project to move forward.

Members will decide whether they support an override in order to build a new combined middle school to replace the two aging middle schools in town. The Bird Middle School was built in 1961, while the Johnson Middle School was built five years later.

The entire project will cost approximately $115.7 million. Walpole has obtained state funding through the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) in the amount of approximately $37.9 million through a competitive process. Walpole had attempted to get into the MSBA program in two previous years but had failed due to competing applications from around the state. The MSBA reviewed both campuses and determined that there was a need, finding problems with the plumbing and HVAC systems.

A YouTube video discusses the project in greater detail and the feasibility of the project. Tuesday's school building information meeting can be found here.

If the override passes, the Town will borrow to cover the remaining portion of the project and will pay it back over 30 years. The estimated tax increase is estimated to be $438 per year for the life of the loan for the average taxpaying household.

Walpole’s School Building Committee examined numerous options before deciding on a proposal to build a new combined middle school on the site of the old Bird Middle School. While the option to renovate was explored, it was determined that the most cost-effective solution would be to replace the two middle schools by building one combined middle school.

If renovations were to be done on a middle school, part of the building would have to be shut down during construction. Some students would need an alternate location for classes, which neither current building could absorb. The other school would need to be renovated once the first is complete, expanding the time of the projects and their impact on students.

Eight community forums were held to educate people about the proposed building and its amenities, as well as why the current middle school buildings are considered outmoded for modern educational needs.

“A new combined middle school will provide students with 21st century learning opportunities such as space to collaborate and increased access to STEAM in addition to providing the community with modern amenities such as athletic spaces, performance venues and spaces for outdoor learning," said Jennifer Geosits, a member of Walpole’s School Committee and Walpole’s School Building Committee. "It will also help with property values, in addition to expanding course offerings for students and providing the opportunity for greater extracurricular offerings.”

If the override is approved at Town Meeting, the proposal will move forward to the election on Tues., Nov. 2. In addition to in-person voting on November 2nd from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at normal voting locations, there are other options for those who wish to cast their vote sooner. Early voting will be taking place October 25 through 29th at the Town Hall Main Meeting Room. In addition, voters can request an absentee ballot by mail through October 27th, and can request an absentee ballot in person through November 1st at the Town Clerk’s office. For more information on voting, please refer to https://www.walpole-ma.gov/tow...

If the override is approved, construction would be anticipated to begin in December 2022.

For detailed information on the project, visit the town's webpage here. Questions can be emailed to middleschoolproject@walpole.k12.ma.us.