The views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors of this newspaper. We welcome supporting or opposing views on any published item. Received September 21, 2026.
The Renovate-as-New project for the High School is a rare, very good financial deal. The state grant is more generous than what is typically provided, and it goes away if we don’t pass this vote on Thursday, September 24, 2026. If we don’t renovate and choose to do the necessary repairs in a piecemeal fashion instead, it will still require costly expenditures, and we won’t get a more energy-efficient envelope and will continue to waste money on heating and cooling going forward.
We won’t get an ADA compliant and safe building that’s up to standards to minimize harm/school shootings. We don’t get a correction of traffic flow or improved parking. Who knows when track and field will be repaired (a big job)? We would probably lose our current excellent bond standing and we will lose families who will choose to move into another town that does offer secure, excellent education and sports facilities. We are threatened with losing accreditation if we don’t bring several things up to standards. In the worst-case scenario, the high school would be closed. Before that the value of the diploma would be questioned by colleges and employers. Let’s do the job right!
Kate Wessling, Higganum
