News Article

November 8, 2000

Natick voters support overrides

By ELSA AVIZA-OBERG
NEWS STAFF WRITER 

NATICK -- With an amazing 83 percent turnout, voters said "Yes" for the first time to two Proposition 2 1/2 overrides last night. 

The measures free the school department to spend $24.6 million on its middle schools and the Fire Department to spend $427,000 more a year on 12 additional firefighters and a second ambulance. 

Voters cast 17,288 ballots in the town's 10 precincts, out of 20,869 registered voters. 

Question 9, the white-hot issue that brought out many voters, won with 60 percent of the total, or 10,308 votes. There were 6,499 voters who said " No" to the debt-exclusion override, which will pay for a new Wilson Middle School and provide $1 million in upgrades to Kennedy Middle School. 

"I'm thrilled," said School Committee Chairman Tass Filledes. " It's hard to believe that we won in all 10 precincts. The winners themselves are the children of this town." 

A year ago the same question lost by 177 votes, with half the number of ballots cast. 

Supporters of the question gathered at the Sons of Italy on Washington Street last night. 

While Town Clerk Jane Hladick didn't announce the results until 9:30 p.m., the "Vote Yes" side had a strong sense of results by 8:30 p.m., said Christine Weithman, chairwoman of the Natick Champions for Education, the group formed to back the override. 

"I'm overwhelmed," Weithman said, surrounded by supporters with music blaring. "I've been on pins and needles since Saturday night." 

She said she was "relieved, excited and exhausted." 

Opponents of the middle school override, which will raise residents' property taxes by an average of $80 each year, had a much quieter gathering last night. 

About a dozen people gathered at a supporter's home. 

Linda Abrahams, a leader on the "Vote No" side, heard the results around 9:30 p.m. 

"We were surprised by the margin," she said. "We were glad we had a huge turnout. It was important to have a large sampling of the town. We said all along we were prepared to go along with the opinion of the majority." 

Question 10, an operational override for a second ambulance and 12 new firefighters passed 9,410 to 7,146, or 54 percent to 41 percent. 

That measure would cost the average taxpayer an extra $30 per year and would raise the tax levy indefinitely. Unlike a debt-exclusion override, which raises property taxes for the 20-year life of the loan, the operational override tax hike stays in place. 

Fire Chief Richard Fredette showed up at the Sons of Italy to congratulate the supporters of the middle school override, which he endorsed at Town Meeting earlier this fall. 

"This is a wonderful day for the town," Fredette said. "These are issues that are vital to the town. It's a clear mandate from the people of the town. We're grateful." 

The Fire Department will hire the new firefighters in April, and the enhanced paramedic service will come into effect July 1, 2001, Fredette said. 

The final local ballot question, Question 11, also passed 8,011 to 7,815. 

The question involved changing the town's treasurer-collector position from an elected one to an appointed one. That was fueled in part by an audit showing the town was owed $3 million in back taxes. 

News Article

November 6, 2000

Override backers face new question

By HELEN KRIEGER
NEWS STAFF WRITER 

NATICK -- With time running out, advocates for a new Wilson Middle School are trying to address opponents' newest objection -- why won't Kennedy Middle School have adequate safety equipment?

Currently, construction plans for the new Wilson Middle School include a sprinkler system. And while Kennedy's renovations include a larger library and upgraded technology, it would have to wait eight years for the same safety equipment. 

"I certainly think it's a legitimate issue," said "Vote yes" advocate Michael Cashman, "But I don't think it has anything to do with the question that's in front of the voters. The issue on Tuesday is whether or not Wilson school should be built and Kennedy School should be raised to the same level as Wilson." 

The School Committee has asked the town to support a Proposition 2 1/2 override to build a new $24.6 million Wilson Middle School and to add $1 million in upgrades to Kennedy Middle School. 

Cashman said he was glad the "Vote No" side was concerned with safety, but he pointed out that if the proposition didn't pass, neither school would be any safer. 

"My understanding is that Wilson is not a safe building," he said. "We had the fire chief telling us to build a new school for the youngsters, not just for the education, but also for the safety." 

Opponents of the plan said they understand the necessity of a new school, but they question how the committee has handled the Wilson project. 

"It seems so piecemeal," said Linda Sussman, a "Vote No" advocate. 

"We're not saying we're opposed to the schools. We're opposed to a lack of comprehensive planning and discussion about what's going on." 

Sussman said "Vote No" advocates would like a chance to see the architectural plans and models for the plan. 

"We think that all those things should be done before you ask for money," she said. "We were told that we would be able to see the plans, and now they say they won't be ready until December, but we're voting now," she said. 

The sprinkler complaint was just one of many oversights which the "Vote Yes" advocates have not addressed, Sussman said. 

"If we're going to do this thing, let's do it right so it we're building a school for the next 50 years. Let's not rush into it," she said. 

If the measure passes Tuesday, taxes will increase for the next 25 years and the average homeowner would pay an additional $80 the first year.

News Article

November 5, 2000

Override friends, foes hit streets

By ELSA AVIZA-OBERG
NEWS STAFF WRITER 

NATICK -- Residents opposing a Proposition 2 1/2 override for town middle schools want to know why a new $24.6 Wilson Middle School would have a sprinkler system, when Kennedy Middle School wouldn't get the same safety equipment for another eight years. 

Robert Libin, an active member of the "Vote No" side, pointed out the disparity this week. 

Kennedy would get $1 million for upgrades, most of which would go for technology and a library expansion, Libin said. 

"That I find to be somewhat troubling," he said. "These safety-related items should be addressed." 

While there are no sprinklers at Kennedy, and they wouldn't be added until the school was completely renovated, children there are safe, school officials said. 

The vast majority of schools in the state do not have sprinkler systems, said Superintendent Jerry Goldberg. 

The school district is not required to meet "hundreds of codes" that have come into place after Kennedy was built in the early 1960s, Goldberg said. Once the school is renovated or replaced, however, the district would need to address the changes in codes. 

"We have a strong evacuation plan," Goldberg said. "We have backup plans. We have more than covered what we need to get kids out of the building safely." 

The School Committee has asked for a $24.3 million debt-exclusion override to pay for a new Wilson and upgrades at Kennedy. With the vote set for Tuesday, some supporters ask why opponents would bring forth questions only days before the vote when they could have done so months ago. 

Linda Sussman, a leader in the "Vote No" side of the question, said if she had a child at Kennedy Middle School, she would be concerned not to have a sprinkler system there. 

While the school department isn't required by law to meet those codes, that shouldn't prevent officials from considering the safety measure, Sussman said. 

"Safety parity is as important as educational parity," Sussman said. "It goes back to the whole idea of looking at the entire system before you build again." 

In addition to his concerns with sprinkler systems, Libin has suggested combining the two middle schools and putting the fifth-graders back into the elementary schools. 

Wilson would close under his proposal, and common areas at Kennedy Middle School would be renovated. He would also suggest putting an extra wing on Memorial School to handle the increased number of students at the elementary level. 

"It's just a concept, but it's something that should be studied," Libin said. 

His plan would solve any questions of parity between the two schools, he said. 

Libin spoke of his plan at a debate last week. 

But the Middle School Study Committee looked at the proposal and rejected it, said School Committee Chairman Tass Filledes. 

Wilson's accreditation is another hot topic in the override debate. Some people wonder how the school could be in as tough shape as school officials say, if it received its accreditation in 1994. The New England Association of Schools and Colleges accredited Wilson six years ago, and the approval is good for 10 years. 

Unlike the high school level, accreditation at the elementary and middle school level is voluntary, Goldberg said. 

Natick values the accreditation process, said Christine Weithman, chairman of the citizens' group organized to fight for the override, Natick Champions for Education. 

Things have changed since the school was accredited, however. In 1994, state education reform had just passed, but wasn't implemented, Weithman said. 

"We want facilities that would meet those curriculum standards," she said. 

The accreditation process focuses more on academics than infrastructure, Goldberg said. 

"That's programmatic," Goldberg said. "They don't do an analysis of the architecture. 

"This is a group of educators that come in, not a group of architects," Goldberg said. "If they came in today, they would find problems with the library, problems with the spaces we have for specialists and (academic classes being held) in home-economics classrooms." 

News Article

November 5, 2000

Supporters push to get out the vote

By ELSA AVIZA-OBERG
NEWS STAFF WRITER 

NATICK -- Supporters of the Proposition 2 1/2 override for Wilson Middle School are out in full force this weekend, holding signs at grocery stores and busy intersections.

They are also walking door to door, handing out leaflets and calling people to remind them to vote. 

"We're trying to be every place we can this weekend," said Christine Weithman, chairwoman of the citizens' group supporting the override, Natick Champions for Education. "We're trying to focus on a last-minute effort to get out the vote." 

The "No" side also drafted residents to walk around neighborhoods yesterday handing out leaflets. The anti-override side mustered residents to hold signs and meet people at local supermarkets, though not in the same numbers as override supporters. 

"They're spending a lot of money and manpower to push people," said Linda Sussman, an opposition leader. "We're not nearly as well-coordinated." 

Sussman stood in front of Roche Bros. Supermarket yesterday morning. About 95 percent of the people she spoke with have already made up their minds, she said. 

The School Committee has asked the town to support an override to build a new $24.6 million Wilson Middle School and add $1 million in upgrades to Kennedy Middle School. 

If it passes Tuesday, the debt-exclusion override would boost property taxes in town for the next 25 years. The average homeowner would pay an extra $80 in the first year. 

That money would be well spent, supporters said. 

Emily Frank held a "Vote Yes" sign yesterrday afternoon at the corner of routes 27 and 135. 

"It's critical that we pass this question," said Frank, the mother of two children at Brown Elementary School. 

She stood in the rain for an hour and a half on Halloween night holding a sign at the downtown train station. That meant she missed out on taking her kids trick or treating. 

Jeanne Ackerley stood alongside Frank Saturday. She had six "Vote Yes" buttons pinned to her sweatshirt. 

Ackerley, a Precinct 5 captain, helped coordinate 250 volunteers in her precinct. Her neighborhood surrounds Bennett-Hemenway School. 

"Neighbors are talking to neighbors," she said. 

Some 50 Natick Champions volunteers started making calls yesterday afternoon. They'll start dialing again today at noon and work through the evening. 

Natick Champions for Education has between 800 and 1,000 volunteers, Weithman said. 

A core group of 500 people will be out this weekend, Weithman said. That's about 50 volunteers in each of the 10 precincts. 

Supporters will be at every polling place Tuesday, at major intersections during rush hour and at the train stations. 

"We want to show our presence," Weithman said. "We want people to know we care." 

"We have an incredible group of volunteers," she said. "We have a coordinating team for every classic political way to get out the vote." 

They won't be alone. 

Question 9 opponents will also be out Tuesday at all the polling stations with signs and helium balloons. 

They'll be making phone calls reminding supporters to get out and vote. Sussman said she's willing to take phone calls at home to answer questions and will talk to people at the polls, if needed. 

A 30-second commercial pushing for the approval of Question 9 will continue to air on 20 AT&T Broadband cable television stations through Monday. 

News Article

November 2, 2000

Prop 2 1/2 supporters blow away opponents with $22K raised

By ELSA AVIZA-OBERG
NEWS STAFF WRITER 

NATICK -- Supporters of a Proposition 2 1/2 override for town middle schools have raised $22,654 since last spring, and plan to spend that money on everything from television commercials to townwide mailings.

"We're trying to communicate to people on different levels," said Christine Weithman, chairman of Natick Champions for Education. 

That got much easier when residents and local companies started making $1,000 donations. 

Natick Citizens for Responsible Government, or the "Vote No" side of the $24.3 million debt-exclusion vote set for Nov. 7, has raised $2,790. 

Across the border, Citizens for a Strong Framingham raised and spent $10,000 last spring in its successful drive to pass a $54 million override for Framingham High School. 

Close to two-thirds of donations in Natick were more than $50 each. The Wilson PTO contributed $1,000, Lilja's PTO donated $500 and Memorial School's PTO donated $100. 

School Committee member Henry Haugland, who is also president of WebReply.com Inc., donated $1,000. 

Both sides had to report to Town Clerk Jane Hladick how much they raised and spent. The reports include all donations made before Oct. 20. The numbers may climb even higher when the next campaign finance reports come in after the election. 

The "Vote No" side didn't report any expenditures between Sept. 26 and Oct. 20. Linda Abrahams, a leader in the fight against the override, said that's only because the group hasn't received bills for the buttons and signs yet. 

The group has spent between $800 and $1,000 on buttons and signs, she said. 

"The people who are supporting `No' don't have the same amount of cash,"Abrahams said. "We don't have people who have $1,000 to hand over. 

"It's unfortunate that we're spending this kind of money on this issue," Abrahams said. "I could think of a lot of different things we could spend money on." 

Natick Citizens for Responsible Government had only nine people donate more than $50. Among those contributors were Abrahams and Selectman Mel Willens, who gave $100 each. 

Abrahams said she was surprised that PTOs donated money to the Natick Champions' campaign. 

"That's money that's supposed to directly benefit the children," she said. 

Natick Champions for Education never solicited money from PTOs, Weithman said. 

"It was a total surprise to people within our organization," Weithman said. "It was not our intent to ever approach any of the school organizations. We are extremely grateful for their generosity." 

The Champions have received donations from people all over town, which reflect the diversity of their supporters, Weithman said. 

"It wasn't just school parents," she said.

With an expected turnout of close to 16,000 voters, supporters are trying to reach out to as many people as they can, she said. A 30-second television ad airing on 20 of Natick's cable stations is part of that strategy. 

The group has already spent $8,500 on everything from postage to signs and photocopying. They did not say, though, how much the television ads will cost. 

Treasurer Darlene Perry said that amount will be included in the next campaign finance report. 

Supporters hope their television ads will reach the additional voters expected to turn out for the presidential election. 

The override vote lost by a margin of 177 votes last fall, when 8,500 voters came to the polls. 

A WBZ-TV poll conducted by Survey USA asked 500 residents if they would spend $75 more a year in taxes to pay for a new Wilson Middle School. Last week, 46 percent of residents said they would vote "no," 45 percent would vote "yes" and 9 percent were undecided. 

"This election is about the 9 percent of voters who are undecided," Weithman said. "We need to reach voters who may vote only every four years and a different strategy is needed."

News Article

November 1, 2000

Officials say Natick revaluations won't affect price tag much

By ELSA AVIZA-OBERG
NEWS STAFF WRITER 

NATICK -- Homeowners will see an average 7 percent increase when they get their property tax bills in the mail in February.

That's according to revaluations released Monday night. 

The calculations are critical for school officials and town Financial Director Bob Palmer, who said despite the increase -- $230 more for the average single-family house assessed at $277,000 -- the revaluations will have a small impact on the cost of the Proposition 2 1/2 debt-exclusion override for middle schools.

A red-hot housing market has driven home prices higher across town. Commercial properties haven't kept pace, so homeowners will feel the pinch. 

The change, however, doesn't affect the price tag associated with a proposed $24.3 million middle school override. 

"It has very little impact," Palmer said. 

After the revaluations are factored in, the middle schools override cost for the average taxpayer increases from $80.84 the first year to $82.32. 

Palmer calculated the costs in the first year, the peak Year Six when the permanent bonding or long-term interest rate kicks in, and the 25-year average. 

He started with a low of a home assessed at $120,000 through to a home assessed at $1 million. 

A taxpayer with a $120,000 home would pay $35.63 in the first year, $50.38 in year six and an average of $25.35 more a year for the 25-year life of the loan for the middle school improvements. 

The median price in town is $242,000, Palmer said. For example, if Natick had 10,000 single-family homes, 5,000 of them would be less than $242,000 and 5,000 would cost more than that. 

The town has 8,261 single-family homes. 

Assistant Superintendent for Finance Jim Connolly said the revaluation's impact on the cost of the override is minimal. 

"It doesn't have a big impact," he said. 

School administrators and the School Committee estimated the average cost of the project as $75 per year. That was based on the average cost over the first 10 years, he said. 

In Question 9 on the ballot Tuesday, voters will decide on whether to raise their taxes for the school improvements. School Committee members have proposed paying $24.3 million for a new Wilson Middle School and putting $1 million in upgrades to Kennedy. 

Based on the information gathered from the revaluation process, a homeowner with a $240,000 home would pay $71 in the first year, $100 in year six and an average of $50 per year for 25 years. 

A homeowner with a $280,000 home would pay $83 in the first year, $117 in the sixth year and an average of $59 per year for the 25 years of the loan. 

There are some taxpayers who simply don't understand that if they own a $500,000 home, the impact of the override wouldn't be $75 per year, said Linda Abrahams, a leader in the "Vote No" side of Question 9. 

"Some people believe it's a fee, but it's based on an assessment," she said. 

She also points out that number, if approved, would come in addition to an average $230 increase in property tax bills because of revaluation. 

If a taxpayer owns a home assessed at $500,000, the additional cost for the middle school override would come to $148 in the first year. It would be an extra $209 in year six and an average of an extra $105 per year for the 25-year life of the loan. 

The total cost of the override vote would be $47 million after 25 years. That includes interest that Palmer calculated using a 4.5 percent interest rate for the first five years and 6 percent for the remainder. 

Palmer based the rates on what Natick is now being charged to repay loans. 

With 59 percent reimbursement from the state, which includes interest, the town would need to repay $20.3 million. The interest on the loan would total nearly $21.7 million. 

The state through the School Building Assistance Bureau would pay $26.9 million. 

News Article

October 27, 2000

Natick override is neck and neck

By ELSA AVIZA-OBERG
NEWS STAFF WRITER 

NATICK -- The race to pass a $24.3 million Proposition 2 1/2 override to build a new middle school will go down to the wire, according to a new poll.

In a scientific survey of 500 residents, 46 percent said they would vote "no," 45 percent said they would vote "yes" and 9 percent are undecided, according to Boston's WBZ-TV Channel 4. The poll has a 4.5 percent margin of error. The vote will take place Nov. 7, the same day as the presidential election. 

Survey USA conducted the poll in which questioners were asked: "Are you in favor of paying an average of $75 a year more in taxes to fund construction of a new Wilson Middle School?" 

The poll also gathered results from parents with children in Natick schools and 74 percent of them said they support the tax increase. The survey found 51 percent of those without children in Natick schools are opposed. 

The station picked the Natick middle school as a focus because of the strong feelings in town. 

"Obviously a lot of other towns are going through similar experiences, but Natick just appears to be so polarized," said John Davidow, assistant news director. "It makes a fascinating case study. 

"All you have to do is drive down any street in Natick, and you see so many `no' signs and so many `yes' signs. It's dividing the town right down the middle." 

Christine Weithman, chairman of the residents group formed to support the debt exclusion override, Natick Champions for Education, said the poll reinforces what the group had planned to do all along. 

"That's the target, the 9 percent," she said. "We always felt there were voters who weren't informed." 

"I'm very happy that a Boston TV station took time for a poll," Weithman said. "It's getting passionate." 

Linda Sussman, a Town Meeting member and Finance Committee member leading the charge against the override, said the results mirror last November's referendum. 

"It looks exactly like the decision a year ago," she said. "It's the `no' winning by a little bit." 

Last fall, a similar override failed by 177 votes. 

"It's a very divisive issue," she said. "I'm sorry it's not an issue that we can all work together on and that the vast majority of people in town can accept." 

If the School Committee had come forward with an alternative that people from all segments of Natick could accept, those numbers would be different, Sussman said. 

Superintendent Jerry Goldberg said he isn't entirely convinced the numbers reflect what the final outcome will be. 

A poll of another 500 people could show a different result, he said. 

"It strengthens your efforts, though," he said. 

"We're fighting hard for this override and we'll continue to fight," Goldberg said. 

State Rep. David Linsky supports the override that would pay for a new $24.3 million Wilson and $1 million in upgrades at Kennedy Middle School. 

"I'm not surprised at all," he said on hearing the results. "That was what it was last time. It's going to be close." 

School officials have come back to the town with another request to build a new Wilson. 

Both schools are overcrowded, they said. There are 160 more students this year than the two schools can hold. The 42-year-old Wilson has classrooms that are crowded and its library is too small. The school needs to be replaced, school officials said. 

Numerous studies and advice from architects suggest a new Wilson Middle School is the best option, school officials said. A new school could house 900 students. That's 325 more than it can now handle. 

Mary Brown, a Town Meeting member and outspoken critic of the School Committee, said the results will be the same as last fall. 

"I still say the silent majority is going to rule," she said.

News Article

October 26, 2000

Decision on override is looming
Natick wrestles with school space needs

By Thanassis Cambanis, Globe Staff Correspondent, 10/26/2000 

NATICK -- As the acrimonious debate over funding for a new middle school heads into the home stretch, the discussion has zeroed in on one central question: How much will it cost the taxpayers?

At the polls on Nov. 7, Natick voters will decide on a Proposition 2½ override to fund a new Wilson Middle School and renovations to Kennedy Middle School.

And whichever way they vote, town officials say, it's going to cost money.

''We have a two-part problem: enrollment and facilities,'' Superintendent Jerry Goldberg told about 200 people at a debate sponsored by Natick clergy on Monday night, held in the cramped confines of the Wilson Middle School's multi-use cafetorium. ''To solve this problem will cost money. The question before voters is how you want to pay for it.''

The total estimated price tag to the town for the new middle school and additions to Kennedy comes to $25.6 million, including some planning and design money already allocated. The state would reimburse 59 percent of the cost of the new construction.

Campaign backers say the average residential property-tax bill would increase $75 during the life of the loan. In fact, the average tax bill would go up by more than that for the first 10 years of the loan. After that, the tax hike would be significantly less than $75 for the last 15 years of the project's financing.

But if voters nix the override - as they did last year by a tight margin of 177 votes - the town will have to spend $8.6 million over the next 10 years for modular classrooms and state-mandated improvements to the middle schools, without any help from the state. By the end of the decade, the decrepit Wilson Middle School would have to be replaced anyway.

''Voting no means layoffs and service cuts,'' said Christine Weithman, president of Natick Champions for Education. The town might institute a $170 residential trash collection fee to pay for ''modular classrooms and Band-Aid repairs at Wilson,'' Weithman warned. Or else it might cut police, fire, and public works services, she said.

Linda Sussman, a member of the Natick Finance Committee, said threatened cuts were a ''scare tactic,'' and that the school system has not fully explored cheaper options that focus on ''renovation, expansion, and reuse.''

Furthermore, the school system needs to present the override in the context of an overall long-term capital plan that addresses future improvements at the high school. ''The Wilson School is just the beginning,'' Sussman said. ''Why couldn't we have a full plan?''

An architectural study of the high school will be completed in December. School officials expect that renovations will be needed to deal with enrollment increases by 2002, and will require another override in the $20- to $40-million range.

Opponents of the override want the town to study more options to resolve the overcrowding in the middle schools, which are currently 160 students over capacity. ''The schools have been overcrowded for two-plus years,'' said Linda Abrahams, coordinator of the Vote No campaign. ''Our students are doing well. If we stop dwelling on the physical facility, we can come up with a good long-term solution everyone can live with.''

This year both sides have campaigned assiduously, plastering the town with signs, holding neighborhood coffees, and going door to door. The Board of Selectmen and the Natick Center Associates have endorsed the override, as have State Representative David Linsky and Fire Chief Richard Fredette.

Wilson School Principal Ruth Evans has offered guided tours of the school, drawing more than a dozen residents over the weekend.

Abrahams portrayed the community's debate as unnecessarily divisive. ''A no vote is not a vote against education; it's a vote for fiscal responsibility,'' she said. ''There is no one side that's smart and no one side that's stupid.''

Natick's clergy hoped that by sponsoring Monday night's debate they would draw undecided voters, said Rev. John Strand, of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. ''We hoped we could provide a neutral forum to help people better understand these matters of deep concern,'' he said.

Most of the crowd in the debate hall Monday, however, was openly partisan, bearing ''Vote Yes'' or ''Vote No'' buttons, and the majority of the audience questions came from supporters of one side or the other.

Jody Pollard, an undecided voter, said she was more interested in hearing about the school system's overall capital plan. ''I want to know what I'd be signing up for if I voted yes,'' she said.

There is one more debate scheduled, for Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Morse Institute Library.

This story ran on page 2 of The Boston Globe's Globe West section on 10/26/2000. 
© Copyright 2000 Globe Newspaper Company. 

News Article

October 19, 2000

Officials say taxpayers will have to pay either with an override or without

By Thanassis Cambanis, Globe Staff Correspondent, 10/19/2000 

NATICK -- The Board of Selectmen voted 4 to 1 against an override sponsored by the fire chief that would bring town ambulance service up to full paramedic grade, after a contentious debate supported a debt-exclusion override to build a new Wilson Middle School.

''Although I'm very empathetic to this [emergency medical services] override, at the moment the one that I think is more important is the Wilson override,'' Selectman Paul McKinley said.

The school override, which would raise $24.3 million, has become the central political question in Natick this fall. Voters will decide the question Nov. 7.

''If the override does not pass, the alternative is to purchase trailers and do some patchwork repairs on Wilson,'' said the chairman of the Board of Selectmen, Jay Ball. 

Because the building is decrepit, Ball said, ''At some point Wilson is going to give up the ghost and the town is going to have to build a new school then,'' ultimately costing Natick twice as much what building a new school would now. 

Selectmen Mel Willens and Ed Carr voted against the Wilson override, arguing that alternatives to new construction had not been fully explored, and cheaper renovations could save the school. 

Failing that, Willens said, there might be ways to finance repairs other than an override or a cut in town services.

''Have we done everything we can? I don't think so,'' Carr said. 

But the selectman - who has lobbied fiercely for alternative sources of funding - admitted that the town needs a new or renovated middle school, and that some sort of override eventually would be necessary to pay for it.

Charles Hughes and Paul McKinley joined Ball, arguing that only an override could finance school construction without biting deep into town services.

''I'm loath to spend other people's money,'' Hughes said. ''[But] this override will spend money wisely.''

If the override fails, Natick will have to purchase modular classrooms and make basic improvements to Wilson Middle School, costing about $8.6 million. 

The town could request another override to pay for the trailers, but if voters didn't approve, it would have to cut services.

''I personally don't see that it's possible to cut 20 or 30 people from the Police or Fire department or Department of Public Works and maintain what we see as the quality of this town,'' McKinley said.

News Article

October 26, 2000

Override sides spar

By ELSA AVIZA-OBERG
NEWS STAFF WRITER 

NATICK -- Both sides of the Proposition 2 1/2 override question sparred in another debate last night. The venue changed and there were less than half the number of people in the audience, but the sticking points remained.

Supporters say there's no way to build a new middle school without an override, which would raise taxes. 

The town's middle schools are overcrowded. The best way to solve the problem of too many children and too few classrooms in a "tired" 42-year-old Wilson is to build a new school. 

Proponents also say the override is the town's best financial choice to pay for a new $24.6 million Wilson and $1 million in upgrades to Kennedy. They urged taxpayers to vote "Yes" on the Nov. 7 ballot to take advantage of 59 percent reimbursement from the state. 

"Vote No" leaders said they don't deny schools are overcrowded, but other options must be considered. 

The only answer isn't building a new Wilson and funding it through an override as the School Committee suggested last November when the question failed by a margin of 177 votes. 

The Natick Education Foundation sponsored the forum last night at Leonard Morse Hospital's Helm Auditorium. About 75 people representing both sides attended. 

Opponents repeated a statement they made Monday night, saying theirs is not a vote against education. 

"I'm not ideologically opposed to a new school," said Leo Boghosian. " It's not about denying children a good education." 

He also got a jab in about what some critics say is the result of a poorly maintained Wilson. Boghosian called Wilson a "badly neglected middle school." 

School officials have defended their maintenance record throughout the override campaign this fall. 

Wilson is in tough shape because it was built cheaply in 1958 at a time when Natick was struggling to handle booming enrollments with little cash, Superintendent Jerry Goldberg said. 

Goldberg, School Committee member Kristine Van Amsterdam and Christine Weithman, chairman of the citizen group Natick Champions for Education, represented the "Yes" vote. 

Boghosian, a 26-year Natick resident, Linda Abrahams, an attorney and Town Meeting member, and Linda Sussman, a Town Meeting member and Finance Committee member, represented the "Vote No" side as they did Monday night during the first debate at Wilson Middle School. 

Opponents also stressed there needs to be middle ground. They also criticized school officials for not having final plans for Natick High School in front of voters before the vote. 

School officials need to factor in the possible cost of renovations to the high school before asking voters to approve a middle school override, Abrahams said. 

Goldberg defended his administration's planning efforts saying they did present a preliminary plan to Town Meeting. 

Administrators presented estimates saying the renovation to the high school would cost between $20 million and $40 million and would require an override. 

Opponents also said they think the present middle school plan is not the best plan for the town. 

Both sides maintain their supporters include people of all ages from across the town, not just parents of school-aged children or seniors concerned with rising property tax bills. 

Weithman repeated a point from Monday night saying both the Natick Centre Associates and the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce have thrown their support behind the override vote. 

"They believe it's a good investment," she said. 

Both Weithman and Van Amsterdam also said a "No" vote will cost taxpayers more in the short term and the long run. 

School officials estimate that the town would spend $8.6 million over the next 10 years to handle overcrowding at both middle schools. They would need 17 modular classrooms to handle the overflow of children. 

That spending would not be reimbursed by the state and the town would still need to build a new school, Van Amsterdam said. 

Van Amsterdam encouraged taxpayers to vote "Yes" and take advantage of the "guarantee" from the state to repay the town 59 percent of the project's costs. 

Opponents fired back that the School Committee needs to go back to the drawing board in light of changes in reimbursements from the State Building Assistance Bureau, or SBAB. 

Officials should reconsider alternatives, including renovations, because the town could get a higher percentage of its money back. 

"We could qualify for more than 59 percent," Abrahams said. "We must look at all alternatives with this program in mind." 

School officials responded by saying the SBAB guidelines aren't complete. 

Goldberg also read from a letter from state Rep. David Linsky that said the best the town can hope for would be 59 percent. 

Abrahams then responded by saying residents should call Linsky and "get it straight from the horse's mouth." 

Linsky came out in favor of the override vote earlier this fall. 

He repeated his support this week. 

"The only responsible vote on Natick Question 9, the middle school override, is a "Yes" vote," he said. "This is the only vote that is fiscally responsible and educationally sound." 

Linsky and state Sen. Cheryl Jacques, D-Needham, will visit the Kennedy Senior Center today at 3 p.m. to talk about a new senior citizen property tax cut. 

The MetroWest Daily News and the Parents' Coordinating Council have scheduled a debate for Thursday, Nov. 2, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Morse Institute Library. 

Natick Cable's Channel 9 will air the Natick Education Foundation debate today at 3 p.m. and Friday at 7 p.m.

News Article

October 24, 2000

Officials say taxpayers will have to pay either with an override or without

By ELSA AVIZA-OBERG
NEWS STAFF WRITER 

NATICK -- There's no way around it, school officials said at a debate last night, taxpayers will have to pay to make room for the surge of children in town middle schools. 

That cost could come in the form of an annual $170 trash fee. That's one of the ways town officials could find the money to pay for middle school costs if voters don't choose to support a Proposition 2 1/2 debt-exclusion override Nov. 7. 

That's when voters will be asked to give permission to raise their taxes to allow the town to borrow money for a $24.6 million Wilson and $1 million in upgrades at Kennedy Middle School. 

Opponents fired back last night saying supporters are using "scare tactics" to convince voters to say yes. School Committee members and supporters have not done enough to find an acceptable solution for residents, they said. 

Both sides had their say and residents asked questions at the first of a series of debates planned for the two weeks remaining before the vote. 

United Parishes of Natick and the Natick Clergy sponsored a debate at Wilson Middle School. Some 200 people on both sides attended the forum, which will air on Natick's local cable station Channel 9 today at 3 p.m. and Wednesday at 7 p.m. 

The "Vote No" side said the School Committee and administrators are trying to frighten people by saying the town will need to make massive budget cuts and lay off town employees if the override doesn't pass. 

The only way to solve the divisive issue is to find a middle ground, said Linda Abrahams, an attorney and Town Meeting member who is leading the opponents. 

The only choices cannot be building a new middle school or going through massive townwide cuts, Abrahams said. 

"I would vote for an override if the plan was acceptable," Abrahams said. "We must be responsible to all the taxpayers. 

"There's always a compromise to be worked out." 

One of their suggestions last night included using classrooms at the East School. There are eight classrooms there that could handle overcrowding, Abrahams said. 

Superintendent Jerry Goldberg said that just wouldn't be a sound educational choice for middle school children in town. 

"The kids wouldn't have the facilities there that they have elsewhere," he said. 

The best choice for the town's overcrowded middle schools is to build a new Wilson, Goldberg said. The best way to pay for that is through a debt-exclusion override that would cost the average taxpayer $75 a year, he said. 

"We have too many kids and not enough classrooms," Goldberg said. "Under any scenario, this question will cost money. 

"The question is which way do you want to solve the problem?" 

Naysayers criticized the school department for not giving residents a long range plan and for not offering hard costs on a possible high school renovation. 

Abrahams, Linda Sussman and Leo Boghosian represented the opponents last night. All three said there has to be a more inclusive solution that includes voices from all sides. 

Abrahams asked for people to avoid name calling in the next two weeks. 

"There's no one side that's right," she said. "No one side that's wrong, no one side that's stupid, no one side that's smart. 

"I hope in the next two weeks we can recognize that it's just a difference of opinion." 

"A `no' vote is not a vote against education," she said. "It's a vote for fiscal responsibility." 

The "yes" side of the question said an override would be the most fiscal responsible solution while a "no" vote would leave the town on its own without money from the state. 

School Committee member Kristine Van Amsterdam, Goldberg and Christine Weithman, chairman of the residents' group, Natick Champions for Education, represented the override supporters last night. 

"Common sense is telling us that we're saving money if the state is paying 59 cents on the dollar," Van Amsterdam said. 

"`No' costs more and hurts the community more," Weithman said. 

Supporters said residents should take advantage of the state's support for the project through the State Building Assistance Bureau. Modular classrooms and other short-term solutions wouldn't qualify for state support. 

"Our partner, the state, has guaranteed 59 cents on the dollar," Van Amsterdam said. 

The Natick Education Foundation will host a debate Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Leonard Morse Hospital's Helm Auditorium. 

State Rep. David Linsky and state Sen. Cheryl Jacques will visit the Natick Senior Center Thursday at 3 p.m. for an ice cream social. Both will explain the state's efforts to provide property tax relief to seniors. 

News Article

October 22, 2000

Presidential race may impact override

By ELSA AVIZA-OBERG
NEWS STAFF WRITER 

NATICK -- Town voters have never said yes to an override, but those votes were cast in local elections that tend to draw far fewer people than national elections.

This time around there may be close to twice the number of people at the polls than there were last November because the question coincides with a presidential election. 

It's anyone's guess how that could affect the hotly contested Proposition 2 1/2 debt-exclusion override vote Nov. 7. 

Last November 43 percent of the town's electorate, or 8,513 people, showed up to have their say on whether to increase their taxes to pay for a new Wilson Middle School. 

The question failed by 177 votes. 

This year, turnout could hit 80 percent or close to 16,000 voters. There were 20,869 people registered to vote in town as of Friday, said Town Clerk Jane Hladick. 

That means voters who usually gloss over local issues will have a say on the override. Some of those people only vote every four years, Hladick said. 

Those occasional voters will be busy because the middle school override question is number nine on Natick's ballot. It's squashed between eight statewide ballot questions, an operational override for the Natick Fire Department, and a question on the position of the treasurer in town. 

People on both sides of the proposed $25.6 Wilson Middle School issue said they're not quite sure how those additional voices will affect the middle school override vote. 

Only Selectman Jay Ball, a vocal supporter of the "Vote Yes" side, said the timing could hurt the supporters' cause. 

National elections draw people who don't usually vote, he said. 

Those people may vote "no," he said, because they don't have children in schools or don't have a long-term interest in town. 

"It's not good," Ball said. "It's probably negative as far as the override is concerned." 

Linda Abrahams, however, a leader of the "Vote No" side or Natick Citizens for Responsible Government, said the timing is just right for her although she doesn't know how it will turn out. 

"It's a total unknown," she said. "It will be great to have a very large sampling of the issue in town ... I'm thrilled to have it on the presidential ballot." 

Selectman Ed Carr who voted to put the question on the ballot this November after deciding against it last spring, said he hopes there is a high turnout. 

"It will be much more democratic and fair and representative for the town," he said. "I hope 19,000 people come out to vote." 

Carr just voted not to support the override push this fall during a selectmen's meeting last week. 

Although she sits on the other side of the issue, Sue Salamoff, a selectman in the mid 1980s, said she agrees with Carr on the timing. 

"It's the type of issue that belongs in the general election," she said. 

"I'm an optimist," she said. "In a larger election, there'll be an understanding that education is important. 

"It ultimately affects property values." 

Voters shot down an attempt to raise extra money for town schools in 1991 and 1992. That operating budget override vote, which included requests for two years, came in the spring of 1990. 

A little more than 5,000 people voted. Those questions involved far less money, $800,000 for 1991 and $1 million for 1992. 

School Committee member Kristine Van Amsterdam said there's just no way of knowing what the surge of voters will do to the vote this time around. 

"It's too difficult to say," Van Amsterdam said. "It's unclear whether that will help us or hurt us ... we're reaching out to everyone we can." 

Christine Weithman, chairwoman of the citizens' group promoting the override, Natick Champions for Education, said the group has been well aware of the increased numbers expected at the polls. 

It should be positive as long as people are informed, she said. 

There are more than twice the number of Democrats than Republicans in town. The Grand Old Party has 3,148 members in Natick and the Democrats have 6,999. There are also 10,103 independent voters. 

That doesn't reveal a thing about the override vote, however, locals said. 

The question simply doesn't fall along party lines, said Karl Schlemmer, Republican Town Committee chairman. 

"It's a non-partisan political issue," he said. 

Local political parties don't make a stand either way, he said. 

Schlemmer said he knows Republicans with "Yes" signs on their lawns. 

Town Meeting member Alan Segel plans to vote yes, but like the others won't bother guessing how the vote will turn out. 

"The more people that vote as long as they're informed the better it will be," he said. "That's democracy." 

News Article

October 19, 2000

Tax relief eases issues

by Alison O'Leary Murray

 Many of Natick's seniors will not feel the effect of the town's two overrides — if they pass Nov. 7 — thanks to a Circuit Breaker bill sponsored by Natick's state Rep. David Linsky.

 The Circuit Breaker, signed into law by Gov. Paul Cellucci this spring, will return up to $750 in local property taxes to seniors with incomes as high as $60,000, making it far less restrictive than tax relief programs offered through the Assessor's Office.

 According to Linsky, singles older than 65 with an income up to $40,000, couples older than 65 with incomes up to $60,000, and heads of household older than 65 with incomes up to $50,000 are eligible as long as their homes are assessed less than $400,000. Combined water and sewer and local property tax bills must also equal one-tenth of the income for the person or persons filing taxes. Property taxes paid above the one-tenth of income will be returned, up to $750, even for those who do not pay state income tax.  The program will begin with the filing of 2001 taxes, on April 15, 2002.  That year, seniors will be eligible to receive up to $375. The amount will go to a maximum of $750 in subsequent years.

 Unlike the rebate programs offered through the Assessor's Office, the Circuit Breaker will be part of the state income tax form. Property taxes will still be paid to the town, but the state will return the rebate to residents after the Circuit Breaker application is completed.

 "If a person is on Social Security and owns their home, they will probably get the full $750 back, because the average taxpayer's bill is over $3,000," said Linsky. "This is a real savings for seniors on a limited or fixed income who choose to live in their homes but are faced with property tax bills that are higher than anticipated."

 While Natick will vote on the overrides this November, Linsky noted that the town will not bill residents the additional $75 for the proposed new middle school until bonds are taken out, which will likely coincide with the start of this rebate program, in 2002. Voters will also decide if taxes should go up an average of $30 a year to fund a new ambulance and to train 12 new employees of the fire department as EMTs.

 Linsky noted that the $750 maximum is approximately 10 times the average yearly tax increase to fund the new middle school.

 "This makes it a totally fallacious statement to say seniors on a fixed income are going to be hurt by the middle school override," he said. "I'm sick and tired of override opponents who say this will hurt our senior citizens."

 According to Assistant Town Assessor Janice Dangelo, there are several tax relief programs available through the Assessor's Office, but the override issues have not brought a higher than usual number of applicants.

 "There were a total of 463 tax exemptions in fiscal year 2000," Dangelo said. "They are meant to give relief to seniors on a fixed income or who have to live off Social Security, a pension, or whatever they managed to put aside."

 Natick granted a total of $172,247 in tax relief through locally administered programs last year.

 The programs are narrowly defined for the most part. Of the nine local programs, two are specifically aimed at veterans or their surviving spouses. One is for the blind. Three set a maximum estate at $40,000, making homeowners generally ineligible.

 The Elderly and Disabled Taxation Fund was initiated by the town just over a year ago and relies on contributions from other taxpayers, said Dangelo. It is administered by a three-member board and can help residents under 60 years old if a disability is established. Priority is given to those over 60 with less than $25,000 annual income.

 One program that more residents can take advantage of is tax deferral, said Dangelo. This program allows homeowners over  65 with incomes under $40,000 to put off paying all or part of their taxes until the transfer of their property.

 "People don't do it because they say, 'I don't want to leave my children with a bill,' " she said. "What they don't realize is that the bill is very small when compared to the gift of a home," noting that easing the tax burden can allow some on fixed incomes to continue living in their own homes.

 "It's a great option if they can lose a little of their pride," she said.

 Another notable tax relief option allows homeowners to get up to $500 off their bills if they have added onto their homes to facilitate having an elderly or disabled member of the family move in, said Dangelo.

 "Come see us," she said. "We'll do the math. We'll see what we can do."

News Article

October 12, 2000

The cost of voting no: service cuts

by Alison O'Leary Murray

 If voters approve the Proposition 2 1/2 override for a new middle school on November 7, property tax bills are expected to go up an average of $80 each year for 20 years.

 If voters reject the override — for a second time —  it will also cost, as services that residents currently receive will dwindle.  Natick cannot pay for a new middle school without an override. Now officials confirm that if the override doesn’t pass, the entire town will surely feel the effects of service cuts and additional fees levied on residents to offset costs associated with providing modular classrooms on the sites of the town’s two middle schools.

 The Natick School Department cannot be made to bear the approximately $1.7 million per year it will cost just to provide modular classrooms to house the growing number of children moving up into middle school. The Education Reform Act of 1993 requires that the town maintain its funding to the School Department or the town could stand to lose its state aid for education.

 “I don’t want to use scare tactics, but if the override doesn’t pass, cuts in other departments are inevitable,” said Acting Town Administrator Paul Cohen. He acknowledged that it would be illegal for the town to tell the School Department that they would have to find a way to fund the costs out of their operating budget.

 If the town were forced to come up with the $1.7 million for modular classrooms, Cohen said he would suggest borrowing the amount over five years, which would leave the town with a $400,000 shortfall. In the first year, that amount would come out of expenses, he said. But, the same scenario would play out the second, third, and fourth years, with debt service mounting by about $400,000 each year. Also, in the third or fourth year, another $3.5 million would be needed for repairs to keep the old Wilson Middle School functional, according to School Department estimates. By then, Cohen said, residents would surely be feeling the bite.

 “We’d do the least painful cuts first,” he said. That would mean not filling jobs that were vacated by retirements or leaves of absence. “But it would be unavoidable to [cut personnel] in the police, fire, DPW, and schools at some point.”

 He said that adding fees, such as for trash pick-up, would ease the burden on the town but actually increase the burden on individual taxpayers. That’s because increased taxes are borne by commercial and residential taxpayers alike, but increased fees only affect residents, not businesses. And, services that are supplied through taxes are deductible for homeowners, while fees are not, Cohen noted.

 “As you add debt service, the easy cuts are gone,” said Cohen. “It’s the same thing that happens in a recession. The roads get plowed slower. We make incremental expenditures, and we keep rolling it back if the money is not there.”

 But, he warned, putting off building maintenance and capital projects only cost more the longer they wait.

 But, he warned, putting off building maintenance and capital projects only cost more the longer they wait.

 Cohen acknowledged that the override is a difficult vote for many in town to cast, particularly in light of property revaluations, which mean higher taxes.

 “Many people in town are property rich but cash poor,” he said.

 Property values have skyrocketed, rising by as much as 40 percent in the past four years, according to Bill Chenard, Director of Assessments. That has priced starter homes out of reach for some children of residents, said Cohen.

News Article

October 20, 2000

Natick override is a numbers game

By ELSA AVIZA-OBERG
NEWS STAFF WRITER 

NATICK -- The two sides in the override battle don't agree on much, but there's one belief they both share. 

It's the money, baby. They have to show people how much it will cost them however they vote. 

That's what both sides believe is the driving question behind whether people will support or vote down a Proposition 2 1/2 override question Nov. 7 to pay for a new Wilson Middle School and upgrades to Kennedy Middle School. 

Natick Champions for Education and the School Committee say it will cost the average taxpayer about $78 a year, or 22 cents a day, to replace the Wilson Middle School and upgrade Kennedy Middle School in Question 9. 

Estimates for the plan total $25.6 million. 

That "22 cents a day" seen on fliers supporting the question bothers the "Vote No" side. 

Natick Citizens for Responsible Government, a group formed to fight the proposed override, said it's not that simple. 

There's no way to say just how much it will cost people. There are too many unknowns, they said. 

One of the driving factors is new assessments that have yet to be released by the town. The assessor, however, has said the tax burden has shifted in town and will weigh more heavily on homeowners than commercial property owners. 

That means people's taxes could rise 2 1/2 percent before factoring in an override or the maximum 2 1/2 percent increase the town can ask of them in budget increases, said Linda Abrahams, a leader in the "Vote No" movement. 

The true cost of the project will also not be known until it actually goes out to bid, Abrahams said. 

Voters aren't asked to approve an amount, but simply to give the town permission to raise their taxes to pay for "the project," she said. 

School Committee member Kristine Van Amsterdam said Wednesday night that the School Committee doesn't have a "blank check." 

Town Meeting has to approve the final amount spent on the project. 

"We've been before Town Meeting three times," she said. "We have been before the Finance Committee numerous times." 

Superintendent Jerry Goldberg said he agrees with override opponents that the numbers do continue to change. He did say, however, that he believes the $78 estimate will stay at that level. 

"I wish I could provide an absolute number for every homeowner in town," Goldberg said. 

Goldberg has said one thing is clear. The cost to the town will be higher if the vote fails. 

That's because the town would need to spend $8.6 million over the next 10 years to buy modular classrooms and upgrade the 42-year-old Wilson. 

Then the town would need to pay -- as the School Committee has said -- $35 million to replace Wilson. 

William Carr on Wednesday night referred to information the town's Finance Director Bob Palmer compiled last summer with interest rates of 5 percent for temporary borrowing and 6.5 percent for permanent borrowing. Those rates are based on an average single family home assessed at $216,300. 

If that were how the town repaid the money it borrowed for a new school, the average taxpayer would have another $89 tacked on their property tax bill every year. 

The high point would come in year 2006 with another $120 being added on to pay off the debt. 

That amount would drop to an extra $50 annually after 15 years and drop to 97 cents a year in 2023. 

Abraham said fliers the supporters have circulated with 22 cents a day should include information on what facts are behind that. 

"There's no asterisks that it's based on the average assessments before revaluation," she said. 

Selectman Jay Ball presented an updated version Wednesday night which Palmer faxed to him Oct. 16. 

Those numbers do not take the higher assessment values into consideration. The average single family home is still considered $216,300. 

The average assessment could rise by as much as 20 percent. 

Palmer does, however, revise his summer study by factoring in lower estimated interest rates. 

The latest version would show the town borrowing money at 4.5 percent on the short term and 6 percent for the remainder of the life of the loan. 

That brings the cost down for taxpayers, Ball said last night. 

That would bring the annual bill down to an extra $57 a year for the average homeowner, even less than supporters now believe, he said. 

Ball, a vocal override supporter, also laid out the potential cost differences between voting no and voting yes. 

"You're paying almost twice as if you're building new now," he said. "It's going to cost me more not to build a new school." 

A small remainder of opponents left at a forum Wednesday night criticized Ball for offering the information. 

Palmer needs to compile those potential costs based on the new assessments, which may or may not be released before the Nov. 7 vote, opponents said. 

News Article

October 19, 2000

Parents speak out on override

By ELSA AVIZA-OBERG
NEWS STAFF WRITER 

NATICK -- Turnout for a School Department forum on the proposed Proposition 2 1/2 override was extremely light last night, but parents had some tough questions. 
Only six people showed up to listen to Superintendent Jerry Goldberg and School Committee member Kristine Van Amsterdam run through a program on the overcrowding at the town's two middle schools, Wilson and Kennedy, and the need for a new $24.6 million Wilson and $1 million in upgrades to Kennedy. 

One mother of a 3-year-old asked how much her taxes may increase after a possible $20 million to $40 million override for renovations at Natick High School, which is expected to follow the Wilson vote. 

"Seventy five dollars now I can afford, but $250 two years from now I can't afford," said Debbie Argueta, who sat with her son Brendon for the presentation geared toward parents of preschool children. "I'll probably still vote yes, but will I be here again two years from now?" 

"Am I pricing myself out of my home?" she asked. 

Supporters of the override have said the cost to the average taxpayer with a home assessed at $216,000 per year would be about $78 per year. 

Argueta then added $175 to that for what she thought may be the potential increase in her property tax bill for the high school project. She said she believes her home is assessed at around $200,000, which is right around the average in town before the new valuations come into effect. 

Goldberg responded to her concerns by saying although the high school project could require an override, work could be phased in over several years, lowering the impact on taxpayers. 

Argueta said she plans to attend the Natick Education Foundation's debate on the issue Oct. 25. The debate is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Helm Auditorium at the Leonard Morse Hospital. 

Another mother asked how much it would save the town to scale back to half-day kindergarten. Natick has offered full-day kindergarten to all children entering the system for the past six years. 

Goldberg said it could save about $300,000 and it could open room up for possibly putting fifth-graders back into elementary schools. 

"People have been very much in favor of the full-day kindergarten program," Goldberg said. 

That's when School Committee member Henry Haugland stood up and said the full-day kindergarten program is an integral part of the district's success. 

"We have a history of absolute excellence in Natick schools," he said. "The full-day kindergarten is an important part of what we're doing. 

"Some members of the School Committee would rather jump off the top of Town Hall than cut that from the budget," Haugland said. 

Audrey Michelson-Newman, coordinator of Children's First of Natick, an agency that helps parents find adequate child care and offers other programs for young children, also attended the forum. 

"I can't say how important it is for this override to go through," she said. 

Her children attended Natick schools and have moved on to college and beyond, she said, but she wants to continue to support Natick schools so other children will benefit from the same type of education.

News Article

October 18, 2000

Prop 2 1/2 override opponents say 'no' vote doesn't mean anti-school

By ELSA AVIZA-OBERG
NEWS STAFF WRITER 

NATICK -- Linda Abrahams, a leader in the "Vote No" side, last night told a crowd of 75 people from both sides of the issue that opponents of a Proposition 2 1/2 override aren't voting against education. 

She, for one, is looking for a less expensive solution to the School Committee's proposed $25.6 million plan to build a new Wilson Middle School and upgrade Kennedy Middle School. 

Abrahams also revisited a past complaint that override supporters use the word "trailer" to refer to "modular classrooms." 

"When was the last time a child said they like to go to school because the classroom's great," Abrahams said. "Modular classrooms could handle fluctuating populations. 

"Perhaps student enrollment is such a volatile issue that no one can ever accurately predict it." 

A panel of three opponents, including Town Meeting and Finance Committee member Linda Sussman and William Carr, spoke during the forum at the Morse Institute Library. 

Abrahams invited Scott Humphrey, a resident and engineer, who this summer offered an alternative renovation plan for the Wilson site. 

Humphrey said he will not say either way how he will vote, but he did spend close to a half hour defending his plans and shooting holes in the School Committee's plan to build new. 

He defended his belief that he could save the town $3 million if they used his renovation plan. 

He did, however, also say that he would never want to use modular classrooms at Wilson where his 11-year-old son is in the sixth grade. 

"I wouldn't have kids in modular classrooms," he said. "They're too expensive." 

Humphrey's plan was included in a $10,000 independent peer review. An architect and construction manager found Humphrey's plan "viable," and would save the town $700,000 after one factors in the state's 59 percent reimbursement rate. 

Both men, however, said they would recommend the town build new. 

The School Committee followed that advice and voted unanimously last month to support building a new Wilson Middle School. 

That process was rushed, however, Humphrey said last night. 

He also defended his renovation plan over building a new school behind the existing one. 

That would move the school closer to Rte. 9 and the back of the Stop & Shop Supermarket and its loading docks, he said. 

"If you're driving down Rte. 9, you can wave to them," he said. 

"They're that close." 

Superintendent Jerry Goldberg stood up to reply to some of Humphrey's points and his complaints about the peer review process. 

"This is not the time to debate this," Abrahams said. 

Abrahams started the program by saying that the event was not meant to be a debate, but a forum for the opponents. 

Humphrey interrupted her, however, and said, "Let him talk."

Goldberg then asked Abrahams if she had ever heard of a school system that has used eight modular classrooms at one school and nine more at another. 

Abrahams responded that she had, but didn't name the community. She also said that 50 communities in the state use modular classrooms. 

Goldberg then answered back that if it were a matter of one or two classrooms, he would use modular classrooms. 

He continued by making a point about the cost of the trailers. 

"The School Business Assistance Bureau has told us unequivocally that we won't be reimbursed for modular classrooms," he said. 

The plan to build a new school would receive 59 percent reimbursement from the state, under a grandfather clause. 

The state, however, has reworked those guidelines giving more weight to renovation projects, Sussman said. 

Under the new regulations which came out this summer, Natick has a 49 percent base reimbursement rate, she said. 

The town could, however, get as much as a 62 percent reimbursement rate when other credits are factored in, she said. 

Some of those potential increases in rates would come from good maintenance records, renovating a building, constructing an energy efficient building and using a construction manager. 

"Now we can look again at plans that have been discarded," she said. "We might find a plan that's less expensive and can find us a larger share of reimbursement." 

News Article

October 17, 2000

It's hard to miss talk on override

By ELSA AVIZA-OBERG
NEWS STAFF WRITER 

NATICK -- If town voters head to the polls Nov. 7 without a grasp of what the two sides of the middle school override debate have to say, they're either just not interested or were out of town on business in October. 

Both supporters and the naysayers in the push to pass a $25.6 million Proposition 2 1/2 debt exclusion override are booked in the final days before the vote. 

They're trying to blanket the town with their messages like they've spread their opposing signs on lawns across Natick. 

"We're trying to reach out to all segments," said School Committee member Kristine Van Amsterdam. 

School officials and the citizens' group formed to support the override, Natick Champions for Education, say the town's two middle schools, Wilson and Kennedy, are dangerously overcrowded. 

The best financial option for the town, they said, is to build a new Wilson Middle School that would house 900 students and do $1 million in renovations at Kennedy. A new Wilson could hold 325 more children than the existing building can handle. 

The $24.6 million for Wilson and $1 million for Kennedy would best be funded through an override because the state would repay the town 59 percent of the cost, school officials said. 

Opponents disagree, saying the School Committee has not explored enough options that could potentially save the town money. The district should consider using modular classrooms to handle overcrowding.

Others on the "Vote No" side simply say they can't afford a tax increase. 

Both sides plan to pull out all the stops in the next three weeks to get their points across. 

Van Amsterdam has visited local churches, the fire department and has sat in people's homes for "neighborhood coffees." 

School Committee member Peg Broekel has visited the senior center to answer questions and explain the committee's reasoning behind asking them to raise their property taxes by $78 a year. 

Linda Abrahams and Linda Sussman, Town Meeting members and leaders of the "Vote No" side, have set up a forum beginning tonight at 7 p.m. at the Morse Institute Library. 

They have already had their say at a live cable debate Oct. 11. 

The two women will dive into another five debates before the voters have the final say. 

United Parishes of Natick and the Natick Clergy will host a debate at the Wilson Middle School Monday, Oct. 23 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. 

The Natick Education Foundation will sponsor a debate Wednesday, Oct. 25 at the Helm Auditorium at Leonard Morse Hospital from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The MetroWest Daily News and the Parents' Coordinating Council have scheduled a debate for Thursday, Nov. 2 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Morse Institute Library. 

Organizers have also set aside another two debates during the day to accommodate seniors who may not want to drive in the dark. 

The Natick Bulletin will hold a debate Oct. 26 at 3 p.m. at Whitney Place, an assisted living facility on Rte. 9. 

Natick's Council on Aging may hold yet another talk on the issue. 

The School Committee has held forums every Wednesday evening since September. 

School officials invite the parents of preschool-aged children to their forum Wednesday to discuss the implications for future students. 

Wilson Middle School Principal Ruth Evans and the town's Maintenance Director Bob Graham will conduct tours of the Wilson Middle School, today at 11 a.m., Wednesday at 1 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m. 

News Article

October 17, 2000

Selectmen support override

By JENNIFER ROSINSKI
NEWS STAFF WRITER 

NATICK -- Selectmen last night responded to criticism by voting on the Wilson Middle School override and supporting the tax increase, but failed to get consensus. 

The board received flak at last week's Town Meeting for failing to take a position on the $24.3 million debt-exclusion override, on the Nov. 7 ballot. The override, which should up the average taxpayer's bill $78, passed Town Meeting for the third time. 

To appease critics and give voters some guidance, the board last night took up the matter and backed the override in a 3-2 vote. Selectmen in July voted 4-1 to place the question of the ballot. 

"Many have already made up their minds, but there are certainly some who have not," said Selectmen Chairman Jay Ball. "Those who have not may be looking to the Board of Selectmen for some guidance." 

School Committee Chairman Tass Filledes said last night he is distressed Selectmen Ed Carr and Mel Willens did not join their colleagues in backing the override. 

"I was disappointed (the vote) was not unanimous. I was disappointed it was not at least 4-1," he said. "The Board of Selectmen did at least in the majority show leadership by taking a positive stance." 

Filledes then challenged the dissenters with figuring out how the town should proceed if the override fails. 

All selectmen except Mel Willens said they believe an override is necessary to fix the problems at Wilson. They said the $8 million alternative to buy portable classrooms and make Band-Aid repairs would result in cutting town services and not make the need for a new school go away. 

"I've spent 12 years on the Finance Committee and I'm loath to spend other people's money. But, that's what government does -- it spends other people's money," said Selectman Charlie Hughes. "Frankly, this override will spend money wisely." 

Willens argued an override is not necessary, but failed to explain where the money would come from to cover the additional costs. 

"I see things a little differently," he said. 

Willens explained an override threat loomed in the late '80s, but was avoided. 

"I went through this in '89-'90 and we didn't have any layoffs and we survived," he said. 

Selectman Ed Carr is in favor of an override, he just doesn't like the fact that School Department is presenting voters the same proposal they killed at the ballot box last year. 

"I think an override is the only way out of this thing," he said. "But if I were to suggest I were supporting the plan on the table now, I would be remiss in my duties. I cannot in my conscious support this plan as it is." 

Carr argued he has searched for alternatives that were not given serious consideration by school officials. 

Selectman Paul McKinley fought with Carr to get the School Committee to consider a resident's alternative plan, which was later shot down by an independent architect in favor of the school department's plan. He also offered the idea for a charter school. 

Carr chaired a committee he thought up, which sought to find $12 million worth of town property to sell and offset the cost of an override. The committee found less than $1 million. 

"Have we done everything we can? I don't think so," he said. "Are there other Scott Humphreys out there? Probably. Would they come forward? Probably not now."