Marshfield Select Board Weighs Options After Failed Vocational School Override
Board discusses budget impact, proclamation policies, and town administrator search process
MARSHFIELD - May 12 - The Marshfield Select Board is grappling with the significant financial implications of a failed debt exclusion override ballot question for funding the South Shore Vocational Technical School. The issue dominated discussion at Monday's meeting, with Interim Town Administrator Peter Morin warning of a substantial impact on the FY27 budget.
"The repercussions of that failure of vote on the FY27 budget are going to be significant," Morin says. "You'd have to absorb a significant amount of money. I think it would be at least $750,000, if not more."
The override question, which would have created a debt exclusion to fund Marshfield's portion of a new vocational school building, failed by just 46 votes in the recent town election. Without the override, the town must now find room in its operating budget to cover these costs.
"We're in a pickle at the moment," says Vice Chair Steve Darcy, explaining that despite the failed override, the town remains committed to the project after a previous ballot question authorizing construction passed with approximately 75% support.
Chair Eric Kelley raises concerns about the town potentially "paying twice" for students who attend South Shore Vocational Technical School instead of Marshfield schools. Kelley indicates he had discussions with a school committee member who suggested the town's schools cannot reduce their budget when students leave for vocational education.
"Just because we're having X amount of students go to South Shore Voc Tech doesn't mean that we have the money to follow them because that will blow their budget apart because they still have the teachers and staff to pay themselves," Kelley says, summarizing his understanding of the situation.
Darcy clarifies that while the town isn't literally paying twice, the funding does follow students who choose vocational education, creating budget challenges for the local school system.
The board plans to invite the superintendent of South Shore Vocational Technical School to a future meeting to discuss the implications of the failed override vote. Kelley suggests all options should be on the table, including potentially withdrawing from the regional vocational district.
"If the expense of South Shore Voc Tech is really going to impact us, I think it should be on the table in regards to what are we doing and do we move it forward for a discussion for a possible vote to get out maybe," Kelley says.
The meeting also featured extensive discussion about town proclamations, with several residents speaking in support of continuing them, particularly those recognizing LGBTQ Pride Month, Purple Heart recipients, and awareness for issues like suicide prevention and opioid addiction.
Eleanor Eastwood of Union Street shares concerns about inclusivity in the town. "My daughter is queer. My daughter calls this town racist," Eastwood says. "It's so sad to me and it's so sad that people compare proclamations to things like Taco Tuesday, Thirsty Thursday. These are supportive. This supports people in our town."
Grace Seibert-Larke of Ferry Hill Road speaks about her son coming out at Marshfield High School in 1995 and the importance of creating a safe community. "I think that the public proclamation is important," she says.
Darcy expresses support for continuing the proclamations, noting they take minimal effort but can have significant positive impact.
"It's something that's not a heavy lift for us to do. It probably takes two minutes in total most of the time, and it's something that can mean a great deal to a lot of people," Darcy says.
Kelley raises concerns about potential political implications of some proclamations and suggests board members could show support individually rather than through official proclamations.
"My look at is that if there's a way to, you want to support something, my look as I think it's best that you do it on your own, whether it's wearing a pin or something like that, besides having to potentially have to vote on a issue that is politically charged in my opinion," Kelley says.
Board member Trish Simpson supports continuing the proclamations, noting their importance to community members. "I think they're important, and if it just takes a little bit of time, that message goes a long way," she says.
The board unanimously approves moving forward with the search process for a new town administrator. Morin recommends forming a search committee of five to seven individuals from the community and hiring a professional search firm.
"I think this ensures that you're capturing what Marshfield wants in a Town Administrator. You're doing outreach, you're not just doing this on your own, but you're taking input from the people that you're elected to serve," Morin says.
The board directs Morin to conduct outreach for applicants to serve on the search committee and to invite two firms—Community Paradigm Associates of Plymouth and the Collins Center for Public Management at the University of Massachusetts Boston—for interviews.
The board also addresses several other matters:
- Discussion of improving the town website, with suggestions for a survey to gather resident feedback
- Approval to prepare a request for proposals for labor counsel services
- Updates on town budget revisions, including funding for the skate park renovation project
The next Select Board meeting will include interviews with town administrator search firms and further discussion of budget matters ahead of the June 2 town meeting.