By Beth David, Editor
Acushnet voters will be asked to approve a debt exclusion, which would allow the town to borrow up to $4.2 million for air quality improvements, primarily at the elementary school. The building had to be closed down in the fall for a “deep cleaning” that cost $300,000 due to mold infestation. The improvements would rehab the existing HVAC systems to reduce or eliminate the conditions that are conducive to creating mold and modernize controls.
The town has received a $500,000 grant from the state and estimates $200,000 in rebates and incentives from Eversource, bringing the price of the project down to $3.5 million.
According to Acushnet School Department Business Manager, Patrick McIntyre, last year’s extremely humid summer caused a lot of mold to grow in the building. Although it was not Black Mold, which is the very dangerous kind, even common mold can cause adverse reactions in people.
Mr. McIntyre said the department has worked hard to mitigate the problems, but it is all just a “Bandaid.” They have put dehumidifiers in individual classrooms, replaced filters in the system, and just all-around have tried to stay on top of it.
An audit gave them good-better-best options, with the top option in the tens of millions of dollars category.
The one the chose will update the HVAC system, including duct sealing to minimize air leakage, and central air purification systems equipped with active filters to enhance air quality.
The project will also include installation of a new centralized building management system (BMS) for more efficient control and monitoring of the school’s equipment and energy use.
Mr. McIntyre said none of those systems are working properly. Over time, he said he metal in the duct work changes and allows for leaks. Those will be sealed up without replacing the whole system. Central air purification will also be installed so they will not have to rely on individual classroom purifiers.
The system does add cooling, he said, but it will be used for mold control, not necessarily for the comfort of students or staff on hot days.
“We will set it to the lowest temperature to combat the humidity,” he said. “We’re not doing it for people to look good. It’s the solution to dehumidify.”
Mr. McIntyre said temperatures can vary wildly from one classroom to the next because the control system is not working.
Last year was the wettest and hottest summer on record. Although custodians did a good job cleaning, as they went through the building, the humidity still created lots of mold.
“When the year started, we thought we were clean,” said Mr. McIntyre. “But if you don’t get it all, it grows.”
A debt exclusion is money spent beyond the Proposition 2 1/2 limit, but it is for a specific time period. In this case, the debt exclusion would last for 20 years, which is the life of loan that the school department will get to cover the costs of the project.
In a press release, the department said the average cost to taxpayers would be about $57/year.
“Based on the Acushnet Current Residential Tax Rate (FY25) of 10.79 per $1,000 and the Average Single Family Assessed Value (FY25) of $471,732, a $3,500,00 borrowing with a 4% interest rate (amounting to an average annual debt service of $248,500/year) would increase the Average Single Family Tax Bill approximately $56.61 annually for 20 years (the estimated the life of the borrowing) or $1,132.20 total over the life of the debt,” reads the press release.
“Years of continuous use and aging infrastructure have created urgent challenges in our schools,” Superintendent Dr. Paula Bailey said. “This project is a proactive investment to ensure our facilities remain safe, high-performing environments for learning — and enduring assets for our students and community. A delay in these essential improvements increases safety concerns to the building, students and staff, and increases the risk of greater long-term damage to the current system, which will result in higher long-term costs. It’s important to extend the life of our school buildings, rather than build new schools.”
Town Meeting will also have to approve the borrowing at the annual TM on 6/22/25.
The town has compiled extensive documents on the project and the ballot question at tinyurl.com/ acushnetdebtexclusion
A Public Hearing with the Selectboard and School Committee was scheduled for Wednesday, 4/16/2, which is past or press time. The meeting will be available on the town’s YouTube channel:
Voters will also vote on local offices. There are no contested elections, and there are several vacancies with no one running. Visit the town’s website at https://www.acushnet.ma.us for a sample ballot, or https://tinyurl.com/ytx36c84.
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Click here to download the 4/17/25 issue: 04-17-25 FlashlightEggHunt
Click here to download Patrick Carr’s COI document: PatricCarrCOI_4-14-25
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