BCAT News

The following is a letter to the editor and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of BNEWS. 

Good schools attract families to our towns. They are the foundation of a strong community. Education has always been important to my family: my mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-aunt were all teachers. I’ve seen firsthand how the quality of a school building affects both teachers and students. A safe, functional, and inspiring environment helps educators do their best work and keeps great teachers in our towns.

Two years ago, Town Meeting recognized the pressing needs of our high school and voted to appropriate $1.5 million for a comprehensive feasibility study. Since then, a 22-member Building Committee made up of educators, students, town officials, and community members reviewed 11 options. After two years of careful study and community input, the committee selected an addition-renovation plan that balances cost, practicality, and the needs of modern education.

Our current high school has served us well, but it no longer meets today’s educational and building standards. Some parts of the facility simply cannot be updated to meet safety, accessibility, or instructional needs. The proposed plan preserves and upgrades significant portions of the existing building while creating a new academic wing designed for today’s students and tomorrow’s learners. It will also improve campus safety, traffic flow, and accessibility, and add much-needed restrooms and a concession stand at the football field.

Now is the time to move forward. Delaying this project would have real consequences:
Construction costs are rising at about 5% per year. Any delay could disrupt the bidding process and signal uncertainty to contractors.
Postponing would push back the opening of the new academic wing and delay the benefits for our students. Partial repairs would likely trigger costly code compliance requirements, making piecemeal solutions more expensive in the long run.

I understand that the temporary tax increase is a concern, especially for those on fixed incomes. Fortunately, several tax abatement programs are available to assist residents who qualify.

After more than 12 years of pursuing state support and funding, we are closer than ever to achieving this goal. If we wait, we risk costly emergency repairs with no state help, more disruption to students and teachers, and no long-term plan.

Let’s invest in our schools, our students, and our town’s future.

Please join me in voting YES for BHS.

Sincerely,
Katherine Bond
Proud Resident since 1996