[Ed note: My Southborough accepts signed letters to the editor submitted by Southborough residents. Letters may be emailed to mysouthborough@gmail.com.
The following letter is from a group of 22 Southborough residents.]
To the Editor:
We’re Southborough parents of young kids and elementary schoolers, most of whom won’t ever step foot in a new Neary School. But we’re still voting yes.
This decision is about the long-term character of our community far more than shorter term losses or gains. It’s about building a town that’s clearly as committed to its future families as it is to its current ones.
What’s being floated as “Plan B” isn’t a plan at all; it’s a placeholder. One that would restart the entire process from scratch, incurring new costs, delays and uncertainty. It’s also one that doesn’t take into account the years of opportunities to engage in the process before now, or the reality that Southborough’s governing processes simply do not allow Hail Marys via Facebook engagement to rewrite the available options.
Yes, we should be cautious with spending. But we also need to be honest about the real costs of doing nothing, both financially and educationally.
Lately, the conversation has been heavy on numbers and light on students—and even those numbers don’t really tell the full story. Looking only at building costs leaves out the long-term tax base risks we face if families stop choosing Southborough.
With limited commercial revenue, we rely on being a place where families want to move. That starts with strong, future-ready schools. If we lose that, we lose more than just an opportunity—we lose our appeal, and we lose those future neighbors.
But hear us loud and clear: we can’t let the educational benefits of this proposal get lost in the noise.
The new building plan was designed to reduce student transitions, increase belonging, support inclusive services, and give teachers and students spaces to thrive in line with the best practices we know matter most for elementary learners.
These aren’t perks. They’re necessities for 21st century learning.
This is about staying competitive and staying true to what we say we value: our kids (and educators) and our shared future.
Of course people, not buildings, are what make our schools truly great, but those people aren’t Tetris blocks that can be shuffled around purely based on square footage. They deserve safe, updated spaces purpose-built for learning in a new era.
Even if our kids won’t directly benefit, we believe we all stand to gain…or to lose.
We welcome questions and conversation at SouthboroughsFuture@gmail.com.
CO-SIGNED BY
Kate and George Haranis
Rebecca and Gerald Dente
Neetu Sehgal
Annie Pfaff
Ross Fulton
Ellen and Neil Marya
Eleanor and Thomas Tomczyk
Andrew and Suzanne Duca
Justin and Andrea Hill
Liz Zulick
Amy and Tom Wilson
Sydney Lindstrom
Kim and Patrick Dwyer
Beth Wheeler
