Rochester will have dual ballots again for Old Colony revote

ROCHESTER — Rochester will once again present voters with two ballots on the Saturday, June 20 vote for the Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School Building Project. 

The Select Board agreed to present voters with one ballot asking to approve the building project and one ballot asking to approve a debt exclusion at a Select Board meeting on Monday, June 1. 

Old Colony has proposed a $288 million project to construct a new school building that would increase the student population and address aging infrastructure. 

The project will receive $129 million in grant funding from the state and an additional $11 million in incentives. The remaining cost of $148 million will be shared by the five member towns. 

After a “no” vote in November, Old Colony is bringing the same building project back for voters approval again. Old Colony is not permitted to change the scope of the project for the revote in accordance with the Massachusetts School Building Authority. 

The member towns of Old Colony can vote to adopt a Proposition 2½ debt exclusion which would raise taxes a certain amount per household until the project is paid for.

Town Administrator Cameron Durant said the Select Board agreed to bring two separate ballots to voters for clarity and efficiency in the fall. 

Durant explained the two ballots will allow residents to understand there is a financial cost to approving the new school. 

It also is efficient so that if the new school is approved, the town would already have the debt exclusion approved. 

If Rochester rejects the debt exclusion, the town would need to fund the project through their annual operating budgets. 

If the vote for a debt exclusion fails, it can be brought back to the voters a second time.