Dighton-Rehoboth Looks to the Future

Dighton-Rehoboth School Superintendent Bill Runey unveiled plans for the district’s future at the school committee meeting’s January 9 meeting.  One project is a new elementary school for Dighton.

Runey intends to form a School Building Committee comprised of town and district officials and community experts in construction.

An Educational Profile Questionairre will also be completed, which would include current and proposed educational facilities, teaching methodology, grade configurations, and course offerings.  

Information would be sent to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), including a summary of the district’s maintenance practices, certification of a design enrollment for the proposed project agreed upon with the MSBA, confirmation of community authorization and funding to proceed, and execution of the MSBA’s standard Feasibility Study Agreement, which establishes a process for the District to be reimbursed for eligible expenses.

“It is not a need for funding at this moment,” Runey noted. “It is not the start of design. It is not the start of construction. There is no estimate of any potential project costs.”

A Statement of Interest has already been sent by the District to the MSBA.

In August of 2018, Dighton residents approved the installation of six (6) modular units at DES to address increased building capacity needs. That project was envisioned as a five (5)-year plan. At the time, school and community leaders made a commitment to begin assessing longer term building capital needs.

“The Statement of Interest submitted earlier this year called attention to significant building challenges that have been widely acknowledged at Dighton Elementary School, especially since the installation of the modular units in 2018,” Town Administrator Michael Mullen said last December. “We are grateful for the support of the MSBA to partner with the Dighton community to begin an Eligibility Period to further assess the school’s building, space, and programmatic needs, and we’re excited to begin moving through the process.”

Committee member Glenn Jefferson said Dighton town officials would need to be heavily involved in gaining support for a new school building.

“It needs to be a collaborative process,” said committee member Eliza Couture. “It’s not one or the other. We’re in this together. (Dighton Elementary) is overcrowded now and we have more students coming.”

Runey said budget preparations are also beginning for the 2025 Fiscal Year. The budget will be voted on at the Spring Town Meeting.