11-15-2021 10:41pm

Medfield Voters Reject Funding New Elementary School Construction

Darlene Cancell Editor

Image by Arrowstreet for Medfield Public Schools from Elementary School Project Community Forum. A rendering of the proposed Medfield elementary school, rejected by Medfield voters, shows how it would appear from an aerial view.

In contrast to Westwood residents’ voting last month to approve funding for a new Hanlon-Deerfield elementary school, the unofficial results from Medfield’s Town Election on Monday, November 15, 2021 show the neighboring town has taken the opposite stance on a similar question.

The unofficial results show that Medfield voters have narrowly rejected a debt exclusion override to fund a proposed new elementary school, with 51.8 percent of voters (2,109 votes) voting “No” to raised taxes in excess of the limits of Proposition 2 ½ , and 48.2% of voters (1,962 votes) voting “Yes” to the debt exclusion override. The unofficial majority vote in Medfield’s Special Town Election is “No,” constituting a rejection of the debt exclusion override necessary to fund the school.

Medfield’s issues and processes were similar to Westwood’s. In order to fund the proposed new elementary school, Medfield voters needed to approve acquiring debt to fund the new school by a two-thirds majority vote at its Sunday, November 7, 2021 Special Town Meeting. It also needed a simple majority in favor allowing a debt exclusion override at its Special Town Election on November 15, 2021. The school funding question appears to have failed on both counts.

Prior to Medfield’s rejection this week of the debt exclusion override, on Sunday, November 7, 2021, Medfield held a Special Town Meeting. In answer to the question at Special Town Meeting of whether to authorize borrowing for a new elementary school, 1118 Medfield voters said “Yes” and 752 voted “No.” Although those in favor of borrowing constituted a majority, the majority was only 60 percent, falling short of the two-thirds majority, or 66.7 percent, vote needed.

Medfield was positioned similarly to Westwood in facing the issue of whether to fund a new elementary school:

-The costs of the elementary schools are similar. Westwood’s new elementary school has been projected to require $84.6 million in borrowing, while Medfield’s proposed elementary school was projected to required borrowing of $80.9 million.

-Like Westwood’s expectation of a reimbursement of up to $18.2 million from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), Medfield could expect a reimbursement of school construction costs from MSBA of $19 million. A “No” vote would mean loss in either case of that MSBA contribution to the proposed projects.

- Westwood’s Finance and Warrant Commission’s majority recommended approving the funding for a new Hanlon-Deerfield school. Similarly, Medfield’s Warrant Commission voted overwhelmingly to recommend approval of a new Medfield elementary school. The Medfield Warrant Commission noted in its Majority Report that it would be the most fiscally responsible decision.

One difference that stood out in the two scenarios was the projected tax increase to the average resident. While Westwood officials predicted an increase of $462 annually for the average town homeowner, the predicted increase for Medfield residents was significantly higher at $852 for the average Medfield household.

There could have been other factors involved in determining the different outcomes between the two towns, such as design and communicating the advantages of the building project to voters, but one significant factor may have been the different sized tax increase faced by residents. Despite a vocal minority against it, an overwhelming 73 percent of Westwood voters approved a debt exclusion override to allow property tax increases to fund the new elementary school, only 48.2 percent of Medfield voters this Monday were in favor of the same in their town. And while 85 percent of Westwood voters approved borrowing for a new elementary school, only 60 percent of Medfield voters – short of the required two-thirds majority- voted in favor of borrowing for a Medfield elementary school.

You may also be interested in these articles:

- Westwood Makes Town Election Vote Official, Forges Ahead on Hanlon-Deerfield Elementary School Project

- UNOFFICIAL RESULTS: Voters Approve Debt Exclusion Override to Fund New Hanlon-Deerfield School

- Westwood Voters Pass School Funding Article for Hanlon-Deerfield School: 873 in favor to 153 opposed

-U.S. News & World Report Ranks Westwood's Martha Jones School Best Elementary in MA, Deerfield Makes Top Ten