Lakeville select board to meet with Old Colony member towns, with questions
Select Board members, from left, Paul Hunt, Christopher Plonka, Lorraine Carbone and Kristen Howard discussed an invitation to consider Old Colony's next steps. Photo by Sandy Quadros Bowles
Select Board members, from left, Paul Hunt, Christopher Plonka, Lorraine Carbone and Kristen Howard discussed an invitation to consider Old Colony's next steps. Photo by Sandy Quadros Bowles
LAKEVILLE -- Lakeville Select Board members have accepted an invitation from their Acushnet counterparts to meet and discuss the future of Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical School, but asked some questions about the offer.
“The importance of communication amongst all boards is critical for us to move forward as a district,’’ Acushnet Town Administrator Adam Lamontagne wrote in a letter on behalf of Acushnet Select Board Chair Kevin Gaspar Sr.
Lamontagne suggested boards from the sending communities meet to discuss how the towns “want to proceed with either repairs or a new school option’’ and “possible future budget increases’’ to the sending towns. Old Colony serves students from Lakeville, Acushnet, Carver, Mattapoisett and Rochester.
“We would like to build relationships that fit each community’s needs,’’ the letter continued.
Lakeville select board members at their July 24 meeting questioned whether the invitation was also extended to representatives from Old Colony. “Hosting a meeting without Old Colony representation is of little value,’’ Select Board Member Christopher Plonka said.
Lakeville could extend its own invitation to Old Colony, Town Administrator Andrew Sukeforth said.
“We have the responsibility to go and see what our partner communities are talking about,’’ Select Board Member Lia Fabian said. If no one from Old Colony attends, the board could ask why that is the case. "Depending on what the answer is, we could stay [at the meeting] or not.’’
Select Board Chair Lorraine Carbone suggested the board attend as a group.
Lamontagne’s letter requested a July 31 deadline to respond to the request. No date has been set for the meeting, which Sukeforth noted might be challenging due to the number of towns involved and varied schedules.
The invitation was sent in the wake of two separate votes rejecting a $288 million building project to construct a new school.
Two votes were held, one Nov. 18, 2025 and other June 20. Only Mattapoisett supported the project in both cases. In the June 20 election, the vote total among the five towns was 3,780 in opposition and 2,275 in favor.
The new school would have allowed the student population to increase, added new programs in HVAC, plumbing and dental assisting and updated technology.
