Southborough School Committee Hires Roof Consultant, Advances $1.4 Million Security Plan

SOUTHBOROUGH -- January 14, 2026, Southborough School Committee hires roof consultant, advances capital and budget plan for FY27. The committee voted unanimously at its January 14 meeting to contract with Ocatec, an architectural firm that began drone surveys of the Neary School roof the following day, with preliminary cost estimates due January 29 and a full report by the end of February, leaving a narrow window before the Select Board's February 13 warrant-signing deadline for a special town meeting. On the Trottier Middle School roof, architectural firm T2 submitted cost estimates to the Massachusetts School Building Authority on January 8; a bonding figure described as approximately $8 million will go before town meeting, with construction targeted for summer 2027. The committee also locked in FY27 capital figures of $1.4 million for security upgrades and $365,000 for technology infrastructure across all four schools. Superintendent Stephanie Reinhard presented a proposed FY27 operating budget of $922,128 above FY26, a 3.67 percent increase, achieved by cutting an initial request of nearly 12 percent and applying more than $2 million in offsets, including $350,000 drawn from a projected future-year state circuit breaker reimbursement that committee members flagged as a risk requiring clear disclosure at the January 24 joint session with the Select Board and Advisory Committee.