DUXBURY — Oct. 21, 2026 — Duxbury school administrators walked the School Committee through a prioritized $2.125 million FY28 capital request last Wednesday — a network core switch, classroom audio and display replacements, device leases, a mower and long-deferred furniture — that was described at the meeting as 20% of more than $10 million in one-year capital needs. The committee is scheduled to vote on the recommendations Nov. 4.
The Full Story
The capital budget was on the agenda for discussion only. Superintendent Danielle Klingaman, presenting the list, said the committee had heard the full presentation at its previous meeting and that the vote is scheduled for the Nov. 4 meeting. The slide on screen showed only the requests the district ranked most imperative, totaling $2.125 million.
Technology made up most of the list. Klingaman said the core network switch was the most important technology ask because it controls the entire district’s network. Classroom audio systems are running years past their recommended useful life and are especially important for students with accommodations, she said, while projectors and displays at the middle and high school building are beyond their useful life, with some replacement parts no longer available. Chromebook and staff device leases are standing items.
On the facilities side, the list includes a mower for grounds work and furniture: library and team-area furniture at the middle and high school, plus tables, chairs and desks at the elementary schools. The superintendent said furniture has not been prioritized in recent years and the district is now dealing with broken pieces.
There’s such a huge list of capital needs in the community that we could absolutely triple that for this year in terms of painting and other things that we’d like to address.
— Danielle Klingaman, Superintendent 55:54
The request still has to go through the town’s fiscal advisory review and be weighed against other departments’ capital requests, she said.
Chair Matt Gambino asked whether the list represents 20% of the schools’ actual capital needs. Director of Business & Finance Lisa Freeley confirmed it, saying one-year needs exceed $10 million and that the total is significantly higher across the district’s five-year plan.
Laurel Deacon used the discussion to address questions the member said have been popping up about the operating override.
She said the override paid for specific operating expenses the schools laid out and did not address deferred maintenance, and that capital requests from last year also went unfunded and continue to roll forward. Klingaman agreed that the override did not address capital needs.
Jenna Wechsler said residents may also ask why the district is spending money on the Alden School while a building project is planned, noting the project is a long way out and the building has to keep operating. Klingaman added that the Massachusetts School Building Authority expects districts seeking state reimbursement to show they are maintaining their buildings, and said the Alden School has had weather-related leaks.
