Voters said yes: Franklin County Technical School will begin a new chapter with a new building.
The 19 member municipalities saw a total of 7,628 ballots cast on Tuesday, with 4,106 in favor of constructing a new building and borrowing $236.6 million to cover the total project cost. On the other hand, 3,522 residents voted against the proposal.
With a “yes” vote secured, construction on the new building can begin in 2028, and it is expected to be complete and open for fall 2030. The new school will replace the current 50-year-old facility, with aging mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.
The existing 160,000-square-foot school has undergone a number of maintenance and renovation projects over the years. However, school officials have said the building can no longer support modern educational needs.
After reviewing eight design options for renovations or a new building, the School Committee recommended constructing a new 211,075-square-foot building on the current property, 82 Industrial Blvd. After the construction of the new building, the old building would be demolished and would serve as the location for athletic fields.
The school would need to borrow $236.6 million to pay for construction. The Massachusetts School Building Authority is expected to reimburse the towns up to $113.8 million, leaving the towns on the hook for $122.8 million.
The amount each of the 19 communities will pay is based on population and equalized valuation, meaning towns like Warwick or Heath will pay a smaller portion of the total debt compared to communities like Greenfield or Deerfield, which have a higher population and higher property values.
The proposal passed in 13 of the 19 towns, failed in five, and tied in Conway.
Greenfield, the largest of the 19 municipalities, voted against the measure. The city’s share of expense is expected to be $1.87 million, which will result in an approximately $253.71 increase to the property tax bill for the average single-family home.
Other towns that did not support the measure included Buckland ($219,000 per year), Shelburne ($243,000 per year), Colrain ($178,000) and Orange ($772,000).
The towns of Bernardston, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Heath, Leyden, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Sunderland, Warwick, Wendell and Whately supported the new building proposal. These towns will see annual capital assessments ranging from $89,000 to $979,000, and increases to tax bills ranging from $86.82 to $334.66.
| Town | Yes Votes | No Votes |
| Bernardston | 214 | 171 |
| Buckland | 97 | 218 |
| Colrain | 106 | 119 |
| Conway | 87 | 87 |
| Deerfield | 332 | 213 |
| Erving | 143 | 75 |
| Gill | 165 | 145 |
| Greenfield | 755 | 834 |
| Heath | 87 | 68 |
| Leyden | 96 | 79 |
| Montague | 786 | 518 |
| New Salem | 59 | 35 |
| Northfield | 382 | 315 |
| Orange | 156 | 183 |
| Shelburne | 95 | 234 |
| Sunderland | 156 | 88 |
| Warwick | 141 | 52 |
| Wendell | 119 | 52 |
| Whately | 130 | 36 |
| Total | 4,106 | 3,522 |
According to the project timeline on the building project’s website, the school can now enter a funding agreement with the Massachusetts School Building Authority and proceed with bonding for the local share.
Over the next few months, designs for the school will be finalized and construction documents developed. The project will be put out to bid in late fall/early winter of 2027 and groundbreaking is expected to occur in early 2028.
