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By Janie Dretler, Vice Chair, Sudbury Select Board – I am writing this as an individual member of the Sudbury Select Board. These views are my own.
Sudbury can’t keep kicking basic infrastructure down the road and pretending it won’t cost us later. The roofs at Haynes and Nixon elementary schools are decades old. They’ve been patched, maintained, and nursed along for years, and now they’re leaking. At this point, “wait and see” just means paying more after additional damage is done.
The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has already approved both projects through its Accelerated Repair Program. That approval doesn’t come around often, and it comes with real money attached: up to $4.58 million in reimbursement. But there’s a catch, Sudbury only gets that funding if residents approve the projects at Special Town Meeting on this coming Monday, December 1, and again at the Special Town Election on December 16. If either vote fails, we walk away from millions and pay the full (and likely higher) cost ourselves later. That would be fiscally reckless.
Here’s the bottom line: the total cost for both roofs is about $11.9 million. With MSBA reimbursement, Sudbury’s share is estimated at $7.3 million. For the average home, that’s roughly $90 a year over 20 years. With the debt for construction of Lincoln-Sudbury concluding this year, the net impact of the roof debt is estimated to be $30 per year over 20 years. That’s a straightforward, predictable investment to protect our schools and avoid much more expensive emergency fixes down the line.
Roofs aren’t flashy projects. They’re the unglamorous work of maintaining the buildings we rely on every day. But responsible stewardship means dealing with issues before they become full-blown emergencies. Replacing failing roofs isn’t optional – it’s necessary – and doing it now with MSBA reimbursement is the financially responsible move.
I urge residents to show up on Monday, December 1 at the Special Town Meeting at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School and vote again by ballot at the Special Town Election at Fairbank Community Center on Tuesday, December 16. Support the Haynes and Nixon school roof projects and keep Sudbury making decisions that are practical, cost-aware, and forward-looking.
Support the Haynes and Nixon School Roof Projects – Vote YES on Monday, December 1 and Tuesday, December 16