The Silver Lake Regional School Committee took initial steps toward a long-term facilities funding plan Jan. 8, voting to authorize discussions with member towns about establishing a stabilization fund for capital expenses while scheduling a public budget hearing for its next meeting. The committee engaged in extensive debate over how to address $73 million in building maintenance needs without resorting to costly borrowing, approved the FY2027 school calendar, and heard a presentation on the district’s expanding Project Lead the Way STEM education pathway.
The committee approved warrants totaling $3,123,584.40 during its consent agenda, reflecting ongoing operational expenses for the regional district serving Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton. Director of Finance and Operations Sarah Hickey will present preliminary FY26 budget figures at the upcoming budget hearing, with the committee voting to use a 2.5% increase to project member town assessments for planning purposes.
The evening’s most substantial discussion centered on a stabilization fund proposal presented by committee member Jason Fraser of Plympton. The proposal would address a critical facility maintenance challenge: the district’s two buildings would cost over $500 million to replace, but require approximately $73 million in repairs to maintain them for the next 20 to 40 years. An engineering assessment identified these repair needs, which district maintenance staff estimate they can handle $13 million of internally, leaving a $60 million gap.
Fraser proposed establishing a Silver Lake Stabilization Fund for capital expenses, beginning with $700,000 in the FY27 budget. The proposal leverages timing that would minimize impact on taxpayers: the district is paying off $700,000 in excluded debt this year and another $600,000 next year, which would allow the stabilization fund to grow to $1.3 million annually without increasing the overall regional assessment.
“This is about creating sustainability and predictability,” Fraser explained. “We desperately want to avoid having to take out a $400 million bond to replace these buildings. If we take care of our problems now, this report tells us we can keep these buildings functioning at a high level for many, many years to come.”
However, the proposal encountered pushback from fellow committee members who questioned the timing and the lack of advance communication with member town officials. Multiple members expressed concern that introducing such a proposal during already tight budget seasons could damage relationships with towns and undermine support for the district’s budget.
“I want to acknowledge the thought and the work and the soul that you put into the idea of a stabilization fund,” a representative of the Silver Lake Education Association said. “With that being said, you are giving me heart palpitations.”
Committee Chair Gordon Laws and others emphasized that any stabilization fund proposal would require extensive consultation with town officials, select boards, and finance committees before moving forward. Some members noted that Kingston, in particular, might need a Proposition 2½ override to accommodate the change, as the town is close to its levy limit.
Despite the concerns about process, the committee voted to authorize Fraser to engage with select boards, finance committees, and citizens of the three towns about the proposal, and to include $700,000 in the Silver Lake stabilization line of the FY27 budget. The vote allows for continued discussion and development of the concept while acknowledging that implementation would require town approval.
Fraser acknowledged the feedback and agreed that proper stakeholder engagement would be essential. “If the towns say no, which right now, because of the fiscal pressures on the towns, I understand why they might not want to say yes to this, $700,000 of our assessments will fall off this year,” he said. “We’ll deal with the building situation later.”
The discussion highlighted the delicate balance regional school committees must maintain between long-term financial planning and respecting the budget processes of their member communities.
The committee also voted to continue funding the Nutrition Services Director position from the district’s revolving lunch account rather than the general operating budget, maintaining the current funding structure that keeps those costs separate from town assessments.
Earlier in the meeting, the committee heard a presentation on the district’s Project Lead the Way capstone program, a culminating experience for students who have progressed through the school’s STEM education pathway. Instructors Scott Farrell and Craig Murray detailed how the program has evolved from disconnected engineering courses into a comprehensive K-12 pathway.
The pathway now includes three Project Lead the Way courses at the middle school level—design and modeling, automation and robotics, and computer science—providing all seventh and eighth graders exposure to STEM fields regardless of their intended career paths. At the high school, students can take introductory engineering design, principles of engineering, civil engineering and architecture, and the capstone course where they develop independent projects addressing real-world problems.
Three senior students presented their capstone projects to the committee, explaining their design processes, prototypes, and outcomes. The program allows students to earn college credit and provides access to industry showcases where they present their work to professionals.
The committee also approved the FY2027 school calendar, which aligns most dates with the current year’s schedule. The calendar places two professional development days on election dates in September and November to accommodate elementary schools that serve as polling locations. The calendar includes five potential snow days, with a final day of school scheduled accordingly.
The regionalization study committee will meet Jan. 21. The Union 31 committee will convene in late February to discuss the shared cost contract between member communities.
The stabilization fund proposal represents a potential shift in how the district funds long-term capital needs, with significant implications for member town budgets. While the proposal would not immediately increase overall assessments—leveraging debt that’s rolling off—it would change how those funds are allocated and could require Proposition 2½ overrides in some member towns. The decision allows for community discussion before any final implementation. The scheduled budget hearing at the next meeting will provide residents their first official opportunity to comment on the district’s FY26 spending plans, while the stabilization fund discussion will continue in parallel with member town officials.