[Ed note: My Southborough accepts signed letters to the editor submitted by Southborough residents. Letters may be emailed to mysouthborough@gmail.com.
The following letter is from Kelly Conklin.]
To the Editor:
Southborough prides itself on being a great place to raise a family: good schools, a safe environment, and a strong sense of community. But after the defeat of the proposed new Neary school building, I find myself questioning whether the town is truly living up to that reputation.
My family moved here in 2022. And to be frank, it wasn’t for the bustling downtown or the famed transfer station. It was for the public schools and the access to the MBTA. I believed this was a town that stood firmly behind its commitment to children and education. Seeing the community reject a crucial investment in the safety and future of our schools has been both frustrating and alarming.
The Neary Building Committee (NBC) presented a well-researched, transparent, and thorough proposal. Their findings made clear what many already knew and agreed on: the current Neary building is outdated, unsafe, and unfit for modern learning. It contains asbestos. It lacks fire suppression systems. It has persistent water leaks in classrooms jokingly referred to as “the water feature room.” And yet, our students and teachers are still expected to occupy this space while the community splinters and delays real solutions.
It’s easy to be a Monday-morning quarterback and suggest different configurations or ways to shuffle students and faculty into the remaining school buildings. But I find it ironic that the loudest calls for alternatives are coming after the fact, from many who were likely absent during the months of open meetings, public forums, and transparent planning. Inaction and lack of engagement during the process helped lead us here. Now, we’re scrambling for makeshift solutions under pressure, without the benefit of time, funding, or consensus.
Based on the town meeting, it’s clear that cost was the defining concern. Like many other families with young children in town, mine is not immune to rising expenses. We’re raising kids while paying off student loans and managing a mortgage secured during the post-COVID housing spike. We feel the financial pressure every day and still, we voted yes.
Here’s what’s critical to understand: taxes will rise whether we rebuild or not. It is misleading to believe that rejecting the proposal in favor of “Plan B,” a patchwork of temporary fixes disguised as a cost-free alternative, will save money. It may appear cheaper in the short term, but it’s a textbook case of death by a thousand cuts. We now find ourselves backed into a corner, facing mounting costs to patch failing infrastructure while simultaneously walking away from $35 million in state funding.
It’s heartbreaking, but likely, we’ll still end up in the same place: higher taxes. That reality will continue to burden those on fixed incomes and stretch already struggling families. I don’t say this to be callous; I say it because we need to confront this moment with clarity and honesty. The school project is not the root cause of our financial strain. It’s a symptom of decades of deferred decisions and underinvestment.
To the supporters of a new school: I share your urgency. You’re fighting for a safe and modern space where children can learn, grow, and thrive. You see the long-term value of investing now so that Southborough remains a town families are proud to call home. You’re not asking for luxury – you’re asking for safety, equity, and a future.
To those concerned about the cost: I hear your fear. You are not against children – you’re worried about staying in your homes. You want accountability. You’ve lived through cycles of promises and patchwork repairs. You want to know that what we build won’t bankrupt us.
And the truth is: both sides are right. We are at a crossroads decades in the making. This isn’t a crisis caused by one proposal or by one committee. It’s the result of kicking cans down the road, hoping someone else will figure it out. If we want real change, we cannot leave it to a few dedicated volunteers or occasional town meetings.
We cannot blame the Neary Building Committee for the financial situation we find ourselves in. The claim that it was irresponsible of the NBC not to prepare an alternative fails to understand the MSBA’s process. They were required to submit a single preferred plan that has been vetted through a formal process. Creating multiple plans would have jeopardized the entire application and the $35 million grant. We owe them our gratitude and engagement for what comes next.
We need a culture shift in how we show up.
We need engagement on every committee – School, Select Board, Advisory, Planning, Facilities – and on every issue. Not just the ones making headlines and eliciting Facebook comments. These decisions are connected and budgets do not exist in isolation. If we only show up when the final vote is on the table, it’s already too late.
Our kids deserve safe, modern learning environments. Our educators deserve better working conditions. Our seniors on fixed-incomes and those undergoing temporary hardship deserve expanded property tax relief. And our town deserves a future not built on patchwork solutions and false economies.
Inaction comes at a cost. And this time, the price might be too high to pay.
Kelly Conklin
17 Sadie Hutt Lane
