LETTER: Longtime Resident Urges A ‘NO’ Vote, Concerned About Financial Impact On Seniors, Hopes Everyone Will Remain Kind & Respectful On Social Media & At Town Meeting

Dear Editor:

I have been following the proposed North Elementary School Project closely for several years. Perhaps that is because my wife, Diane Allan, is a member of the town’s Permanent Building Committee and as such, she is also a member of the Wildwood School Building Committee.

I have publicly commented on this project at several committee meetings and public meetings, including last Tuesday, September 2 at the Finance Committee Public Hearing. As I did then, I would like to speak for our seniors, whose voice, for the most part, has been silent.  Yes, there were meetings at the Senior Center where the project was explained. However, as far as financial impact on our seniors that does not seem to have been considered during the design phase of this project.

The town has estimated that the impact of the proposed school on our real estate taxes would be $0.60 per $1,000 assessment. The town indicates the average house assessment is about $700,000.  This translates into an average tax bill increase due to just the school of $420.

But let’s look at the actual tax rate increase. The Fiscal Year 2025 residential tax rate is $11.45 per $1,000.  So, the $0.60 per $1,000 assessment equals a tax rate increase of 5.2%.  In addition to that, the typical increase in taxes due to the annual budget is between 2% to 2.5%.  So, your total tax rate increase would be in the range of 7.2% to 7.7%.  This is the annual tax rate increase you will be seeing for the foreseeable future.  The days of annual 2% tax rate increases will be over.

Since the proposed project only addresses half of the total elementary students, there will need to be a similar size school for the Shawsheen and West students.   That will be 10-12 years down the road.  In addition, the Shawsheen Tech has been accepted into the MSBA program as of December 2024.  Imagine the cost of that new high school for its 1,300 students.  Wilmington will be responsible for 24% of the local share of that project.  We could be looking at 3 large school projects over the next 10-12 years.  The total project costs for these 3 schools could be $3/4 Billion.  In addition, there will be other typical capital projects.  This is a heavy financial burden not just for seniors but other residents.

Many seniors are on a fixed income. Seniors received a 2.5% increase in their Social Security checks this year.  The estimated increase for 2026 is between 2.6% to 2.7%.  (The rate will be announced next month.)  The announced premium seniors will pay for their Medicare insurance will increase by 11.6% for 2026.  And of course there are the usual increases in food, utilities, etc.

Are these proposed projects forcing seniors out of town? Maybe a few but most don’t have anyplace to go so they will need to cut back on their other expenses and hope for the best.

Are there more fiscally responsible options?  Yes. First, repurpose the Glen Road Town Hall into a PreK-K school similar to how the Boutwell School operates now.  The new Town Hall under construction is estimated to be completed by the end of this year.  The 130 PreK-K students scheduled for the new North Elementary School could be in the refurbished Glen Road Town Hall by the Fall of 2026 instead of 2028, when the new school is scheduled for completion.  And let’s remember, this whole process started with finding a home for the Wildwood PreK-K students, who are temporally in the Middle School and the West School.

What else could have been done? The town’s Facility Master Plan included a phased consolidation plan with renovations and additions to the North, the West, Woburn Street and Shawsheen.  The consultant who prepared the Facility Master Plan worked with former School Superintendent, Joanne Benton, on developing that plan.  It is interesting to note that when the town made its initial submission to the MSBA for the Wildwood School, it referenced the Facility Master Plan.

There have been many viewpoints expressed on social media and I respect that.  My purpose in this letter is to provide a different perspective and maybe food for thought.  Regardless of the decisions made on this Saturday and next Tuesday, I hope we all remember that these are our neighbors and our friends.  Let’s be kind and respectful to each other.

Sincerely,

George R. Allan

Wilmington Resident of 58 Years