Funding Questions:

How much will this cost us this time around? Will the state fund any of it? How much?

The project overall is estimated to cost $43,954,901. We are one of a few projects statewide that has been approved by the state’s new MSBA program to move forward to begin detailed design and construction. We currently are awaiting town approval to continue. The MSBA has agreed to fund a portion of our construction, and that money is reserved for us as long as we continue to move forward.  Once our design is approved and construction begins, the MSBA will reimburse us a portion of our costs as we go. At this point in time, our reimbursement rate has been set at 52.21% by the MSBA, but not all the costs are eligible for reimbursement. The MSBA has approved a reimbursement amount of approximately $21M, leaving about $22M that the towns will be responsible for. Berlin will be responsible for roughly $7M, and Boylston about $15M.

In light of the current economic issues, is this the best time to be doing this?  Why not wait until the economy improves?

We have been selected to participate in the first round of reimbursements by the state’s new MSBA program, a process which has taken over two years to accomplish. There are hundreds of projects waiting in the wings behind us to be funded throughout the state. Our task is to continue to move our effort forward responsibly.  We believe the timing is still favorable to us for public project bidding. We will continue to evaluate current conditions each step of the way to insure we are balancing the needs of the school with the economic condition of our community.

Will the state have the necessary funds to pay their expected share?  Will the funds dry up before we finish, leaving us holding the bag?

The new MSBA program works differently than the previous program. The necessary funds are already allocated and reserved for us as long as we continue to move forward with our project.  They won’t disappear. Further, the MSBA will enter into an agreement with the town to reimburse an agreed upon portion of our costs as they are incurred.  As a result, our towns are not responsible for footing the entire bill and then collecting at some later date, as was the case with the previous state program.

A new school may improve my property value, but what good does it do me to have the value of my home go up if I can't afford to pay the taxes to live in it?

While we cannot yet predict the impact on our local taxes, insuring that we have a modern, competitive, accredited, 21st century high school will make our towns far more attractive to many people and businesses. The increase in tax revenue from this influx will help residents continue to receive the services they are used to, and will hopefully alleviate some of this tax burden in the future.

How will the costs be split between Boylston and Berlin?  How much will the state pay for?

The breakdown of costs across the two schools is determined by student enrollment.  The percentage that each town pays is based on the number of students who are residents and attend either Tahanto or are attending other MA public schools through the school choice or charter school programs. 
Currently, the anticipated “reimbursement” that the district will receive from the state is approximately 50%.
 
Do we have the necessary support of our state reps for this project and how will they help us to get maximum and timely funding from the state?

Both Harold Naughton and Harriet Chandler have often expressed continued support for a new Tahanto. We believe they will help us through the process and deliver what we need to insure a successful outcome.

What can I do as a concerned parent to encourage our selectmen and state reps to help us get this project approved and well funded?

As we move forward, we will be communicating with a variety of constituencies in our towns regarding the progress of the new school.  As part of this communication, we will continually inform people as to what they can do to chip in.