Less than 1/3 of registered voters made the decision to replace Norwood High School with a “model school” that is smaller, will have two fewer athletic fields, and is planned to last only 50 years. The total cost of the project, including hard and soft costs, non-reimbursable items, and interest on borrowed funds will cost taxpayers more than $80 million and take them about 25 years to pay for it.
Here’s a comparison: The Westover neighborhood was built in the 1960s, making houses there almost 50 years old. Should homeowners get ready to tear them down to build new because those houses have reached the end of their 50-year life expectancies?
If the reason for building a new high school is because Norwood High has been falling apart, then who should take responsibility and accountability for its neglect and deterioration over the past 20 years?
In Norwood’s case, it is very clear the MSBA “waived” many of its documented regulations. Residents were given the message by proponents of a new school: Renovations to Norwood High will not be funded by the state.
Don’t you want to know why this restriction was made only to Norwood taxpayers? Bedford, Canton, Medfield, Milton, Needham, and Walpole all had their high schools renovated and were reimbursed by the state.
Will knowing this make any difference? Maybe not now, but it is something to think about – perhaps at a later date when people start questioning why and how it all happened.
