Above: Volunteers have organized ways to make it easier for busy voters and families to participate in the Special Town Meeting on Neary School’s roof and studies on potential future school building projects. (images cropped from flyers)
Tomorrow night, voters have consequential decisions to make about the short term and long term future of Southborough’s schools and expenses that impact short term and long term budgets.
I received information about efforts of some community members to make it easier for the public to show up to vote tomorrow. That includes two Special Town Meeting dinner specials and a cozy “Chill Zone” for kids being set up in the gym where families can participate in the meeting.
I also received two more Letters to the Editor from residents seeking to sway voters’ opinions. And I got the Advisory Committee’s official report to voters.
Advisory’s report also alerted me that I got a detail wrong in my summary of the Levy Balance situation at the bottom of Friday’s post. So I updated those details here.
So here is my updated overview of all things Special Town Meeting.
Scroll down for info on the Chill Zone for families and the Meal Deals.
STM Quick Overview and Links
The Monday, March 2nd meeting is scheduled to open at Trottier Middle School at 6:00 pm.
If turnout is as big as anticipated, parking will be an issue. So voters are encouraged to carpool. But you can also park down the hill at Neary School and walk up. Just give yourself enough time (and dress appropriately).
- More meeting details are on the Town’s website here.
- My Town Meeting explainer for voters who are confused about how Town Meetings work is here.
- Official Presentations and reports:
- My overview of the Articles on the Warrant is here.
- Related Letters to the Editor are linked below:
- Vote YES on Special Town Meeting Articles 1 & 4, NO on 2 & 3 by Beth Wittcoff
- Stop Feeding the Alligator by Karen Hanlon Shimkus
- Understanding Neary School: How we got to where we are by Kelly Conklin
- Explanation for proposed $15M cap on Neary renovations (following up on letter below) by Al Hamilton & Tim Fling:
- Proposal for addressing Neary School issues by Al Hamilton
- Continued Concerns about the Neary Project by Amelia Braun
The above letters are in addition to letters that were written before the May Special Town Meeting. Many of those letters addressed issues that overlap the current situation. But they were focused on supporting or opposing the prior proposal that is no longer on the table (a brand new 4-grade school building at Neary.)
‘Chill Zone’ in the Gym at Special Town Meeting
As I’ve previously posted, registered voters who bring children under 18 years old with them will be sent to the gym. In that room, they will have the full ability to see presentations, make comments, ask questions, vote, etc.
The room will have 300 chairs and some round tables at the back for kids to use. A community flyer from anonymous organizers also promotes a special area to make things more comfortable for the kids:
Adults can situate their family in a “chill zone” area for the evening. Children are encouraged to bring a pillow, a blanket, a book, coloring books, a quiet game, and/or an iPad.
Children can wear their pajamas and slippers -the idea is to foster calm, cozy, bedtime vibes.
The flyer also reiterates that “Childcare is NOT provided at Town Meeting.” and “Parents/Caregivers are responsible for their children at all times.”
Another reminder in the flyer is that, unlike the auditorium, Families are welcome to bring dinner and/or snacks into the gym.
And for those who want to take advantage of that, two specials are also being promoted. . .
Special Town Meeting Meal Deals
The flyer promotes:
Two Southborough restaurants want to help get dinner on your plate on “Monday, March 2nd, 2026! Dine-in at one of the following local spots before going to Town Meeting OR pick-up your order and bring your family’s dinner to Trottier!
Note: For this Town Meeting, food is allowed in the Trottier gym but not allowed in the Trottier auditorium Food deliveries to Trottier Middle School are not allowed.
Read more on the deals offered by Southborough restaurants Owen O’Leary’s and Southborough House of Pizza in the flyer above right.
