I have lived in Hopkinton for eight years now. I have young children and politically I am first and foremost a fiscal conservative. After countless meetings and tremendous research, I gained confidence in the upcoming Hopkinton school bond.
The current bond proposal ($9.7 million) is a pared down and fiscally responsible version addressing first our needs: new roofs on all three schools and overcrowding at Harold Martin School. The overcrowding is a real issue today (currently short two classrooms) not to mention if projections for Hopkinton’s continued growth are realized. The other big-ticket item in this bond is $1.9 million for renovation of up to six classrooms (four STEM and two “flexible space”) at Hopkinton Middle High School.
The remainder of the bond is earmarked for more deferred maintenance and safety and security upgrades.
Although $9.7 million is a lot of money, with careful management and oversight we can really do a lot of the very much-needed and overdue upkeep and improvements to our schools. The time has come for Hopkinton to start making an investment in the asset of its school buildings and a commitment to the future to fully develop a capital improvement plan as well as a 10-year master plan.
This bond needs to pass this year, and oversight into its usage is critical so we may begin a path toward fiscal responsibility, protection of our assets, and giving our youth a safe and solid building space for the top-notch education that Hopkinton is providing.
AMANDA GILMAN
Concord