The Monomoy Regional School Committee voted unanimously Friday to approve the $63.3 million budget for construction of a new 168,000 square-foot high school expected to serve 7-800 students. The proposal now goes to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which will make a decision on a $28 million grant for the project over the next month. The school is to be shared by the towns of Chatham and Harwich.
The committees also approved a $2.2 million multipurpose synthetic field and track with 750 bleacher seats and a concession stand, although these are not covered under any building authority grant.
There is some disagreement among town officials. Harwich Finance Committee Chairman Albert "Skip" Patterson said the committee is against the proposed $65 million total figure. He said his committee met Thursday night and voted unanimously against supporting that budget. "Forty-six million was the figure we've been talking about, and the notion of chasing free money is reckless.”
Harwich students make up the overwhelming majority of the new school district, and Harwich will pay $24.9 million and Chatham $9.7 million of the project costs.
Borrowing to pay for the school needs to be approved at a special town meeting Aug. 27 in Chatham and another the following day in Harwich. The project also must receive a majority of the votes at Proposition 2½ debt-exclusion special elections Sept. 6 in both towns.
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