Canton voters say ‘Yes’ to new Galvin Middle School

An aerial rendering of the exterior of the proposed new middle school courtesy of Ai3 Architects

By a nearly 3-1 margin in Tuesday’s town-wide special election, Canton voters signed off on the proposed debt-exclusion measure to finance the construction of a brand-new Galvin Middle School that will serve students in grades 5-8.

The final tally, with the ‘Yes’ votes outnumbering the ‘No’ votes 2,924 to 1,019, clears the last remaining hurdle for the project and unlocks between $72.8 and $74.3 million in state reimbursement money from the Mass. School Building Authority (MSBA).

“We are thrilled with the results of the vote,” stated School Committee Chair Kendall O’Halloran. “I want to thank the voters of Canton for supporting this important project, which will bring countless educational and community benefits that will be felt for decades to come.”

Coming on the heels of a near-unanimous vote of approval at last month’s Special Town Meeting, Tuesday’s ballot measure faced some stiffer resistance, but ultimately the supporters won out, prevailing by a substantial margin in all seven voter precincts (click here for precinct-by-precinct results).

As a result, O’Halloran said the Canton community will be rewarded with a “state-of-the-art” new middle school building and campus that will help “ease the transition from elementary to middle school and provide a strong foundation for student achievement in middle school, high school and beyond.”

“And this new facility will also be an asset for our entire community, offering new and improved spaces for athletics, performing arts and community events,” added O’Halloran.

The total budget for the project is $241.7 million, but a sizable portion (roughly 30 percent) of that figure will be offset by the MSBA reimbursement. To finance the remaining $167-$169 million, the town will utilize three funding “levers,” including projected savings from a Norfolk County pension assessment, increasing the tax levy to the maximum allowable over a 30-year period between 2030 and 2059; and issuance of municipal bonds, which will be repaid over the course of the same 30-year period.

For the average homeowner, the projected tax impact will amount to an additional $441 per year, or $110 per quarter, over 30 years. The largest increase will be felt in year one (2030), with the average homeowner projected to pay an additional $886, followed by a substantial drop in year three to an average of $528 and a further reduction to $492 by year five.

For those who will be hit hardest by the tax increase, school leaders have highlighted several assistance programs that are available, particularly for senior citizens and disabled veterans. Among them are a $1,000 exemption for seniors who meet certain income requirements, the Senior/Veterans tax program offered by the town’s Department of Elder & Human Services, and the state Circuit Breaker Tax Credit. More information on these and other programs can be found under the Financial FAQs at galvinmsproject.com/faqs.

The new middle school, which will retain the Galvin name, will be built on the grounds of the existing GMS parking lot and is slated for completion by the fall of 2028. The school building will feature two separate wings — one for grades 5 and 6 and the other for grades 7 and 8.

Amenities include a new 800-seat auditorium, a double gymnasium with two full-size basketball courts, turf fields with outdoor lighting, and a geothermal heating/cooling system for the public areas of the building.

For more information about the Galvin Middle School project and for the latest project updates, go to www.galvinmsproject.com.

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