Residents supporting the proposal to build a new, $451.5 million Andover High School are putting up lawn signs and taking to social media to rally support ahead of a Nov. 20 special town meeting with the potential to kill the project.
“This article doesn’t approve any funds to build or start construction, only to complete a design after community feedback,” Windy Catino posted, along with the above poster, Monday on the local politics Facebook group Andover Governance. “To truly understand the cost and options to balance educational needs and costs, we need an actual building design for the Town to consider.
Catino is an Andover attorney who was not immediately available for comment Tuesday. The website referenced in the poster said “coming soon” when checked Tuesday afternoon. The Website’s registration is private.
Andover Special Town Meeting will vote on two articles on Nov. 20: article 7a to fund the $1.3 million schematic design, and article 7b, asking for $500,000 to conduct a study on whether the Town could make renovations to extend the life of the existing building until the Town’s debt profile improves and it could receive state aid to offset the cost.
Town Manager Andrew Flanagan estimates a downgrade would kick in if the Town borrows more than $50 million to $60 million. The Town’s debt profile will improve as existing debt is retired, and the Town could have a chance of getting Massachusetts School Building Authority money if it waits until the West Elementary School project closes out in 2026.
Special town meeting will also consider five warrant articles submitted by citizen petition.
Willie, I have put my name all over facebook. Let’s try to elevate the discourse and focus on the issues instead of trying to insult people without basis.