Lakeville voters to decide June 20 on Old Colony rebuild

LAKEVILLE -- Lakeville voters will return to the polls Saturday, June 20 to decide on a $288 million new school building for Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School

The polls will be in a different location than usual because of prior commitments at Loon Pond Lodge.  For this election, voters will cast ballots at Assawompset Elementary School, 232 Main St.

Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  

Lakeville will be one of five members towns voting at the same time in their respective communities. Voters in Mattapoisett, Rochester, Acushnet and Carver will also cast ballots. The school is located in Rochester.

Old Colony school district officials called for a second vote on the project following a defeat of a first attempt in November. At that election, every town except Mattapoisett rejected the project.

If the project is approved, a Lakeville home valued at $572,000 would see a tax increase of about $452. This number could vary depending on each year’s enrollment.

Supporters have argued that the building needs upgrades and new construction would be more cost-effective than making renovations.

A new building would increase the student population from approximately 560 to 776 students and eliminate aging infrastructure, failing systems, a lack of fire protection and no water redundancy, supporters of the project have argued..

Updates would include more classroom space, updated equipment and updated technology as part of an entirely new high school building.

Increased space would also allow the school to offer three new programs for HVAC, plumbing and dental assisting.

Of the total $288 million project, the Massachusetts School Building Authority and other grants will cover $140 million of the cost. The member towns will split the remaining $148 million.