Old Colony building project withdrawn after two voter rejections
After two rejections from voters, the Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School building project has been discontinued.
School officials have informed the Massachusetts School Building Authority that they will take themselves out of funding consideration.
"We respect the decision of the voters and are grateful to the thousands of residents who took the time to participate in this important process," said Superintendent-Director Aaron Polansky. "We would like to sincerely thank our member communities, elected officials, Building Committee members, School Committee members, staff, students, families, and community supporters who dedicated countless hours to studying, discussing, and advocating for this project."
Voters in the five towns that send students to the school _ Lakeville, Rochester, Mattapoisett, Acushnet and Carver _ twice rejected 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.
The project would have received $129 million in grant funding from the state and an additional $11 million in incentives.
Despite the project's withdrawal, Old Colony remains committed to providing high-quality career and technical education opportunities for current and future students, Polansky said.
"Our mission remains unchanged," Polansky said. "Old Colony will continue to deliver exceptional educational experiences, prepare students for successful careers and post-secondary opportunities, and serve the workforce needs of our region. We will now evaluate future options for addressing the district's long-term facility challenges while maintaining our focus on student success."
District officials will continue discussions with the School Committee, member communities, and state partners regarding the next steps for maintaining and improving the school's aging facilities
