November 25, 2024
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Waltham School says no referendum in spring 2024

Voters could settle annex question next November

By Tom Collins
A sketch of what Waltham Elementary could look like if voters approve the $10 million in funding. The sketches were presented Tuesday, July 18, 2023, to the Waltham Elementary School Board.

This proposed annex still is a possibility for Waltham Elementary, but voters won't settle a referendum in spring '24. Waltham officials confirmed Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023, that the $10 million project won't go to voters until the presidential election in November 2024. (Image provided by BLDD)

Waltham Elementary still hopes to build an annex – the space crunch won’t get any better – but voters won’t see a referendum in spring 2024.

Wednesday, Superintendent Kristi Eager and board president Jim McCabe ruled out the possibility Utica-area voters would settle the roughly $10 million question at the March primary. Waltham instead is aiming for a vote at the general election in November 2024.

As previously reported, Waltham’s enrollment is swollen (255 at present) and projected to climb about 18% in the years ahead. To meet the space crunch, the district proposes an annex (price tag: $9.96 million) and will seek voter approval to fund it.

With voter OK, an addition of 21,000 square feet would be built to the north side along with 55 more parking spaces.

A November 2024 referendum was deemed more likely, almost out of the gate, as a March vote would have required work at a breakneck pace.

In other matters, the board:

Received a clean audit from Hopkins & Associates

A recent survey conducted by the Regional Office of Education found no life-safety issues in the building

Learned the site of the former Waltham North School has a prospective buyer

Will next meet Nov. 15

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