Hingham Votes Yes On New Middle School, New Athletic Fields

The people of Hingham have spoken.  They needed a two-thirds vote at Monday's Special Town Meeting to approve funding for the new $60.9 million Middle School and got it. The  proposed Middle School received 1,414 votes in favor of the school compared to 584 no votes.  The  proposed $935,000 Hingham Fields project  was also approved on Monday with an two-thirds vote.  They now both have to win a majority vote at the polls on Saturday for each of them to be officially approved.

“I’m thrilled,” said School Building Committee Chairman Raymond Estes.  “We did it together, the fields and the school, we got it.” 

Hingham Middle School Principal Roger Boddie was also shocked.

“I’m thankful to parents who came out and supported this,” he said. “This is a huge commitment  in a difficult time, I’m speechless.”

 Estes admitted afterwards that he was never really confident the vote would go through after members of the town spoke against the project.

Ed Sigfried of the Hinghan Advisory Committee was one of this who opposed the project. Like many, Sigfried felt it was being rushed and was too expensive.

“I have serious doubts,” Sigfried told the town. “This is the-most expensive project in [Hingham’s] history.”

Sigfried  said residents are frustrated with a “hurry up- take it or leave it,” approach  and believed the existing school could be improved with a new roof and minor improvement.  He also suggested moving sixth graders to the elementary schools to deal with the overcrowded classrooms.

Those in favor of the project, told the voters that now was the opportune time to build the school because they would receive a 44 percent reimbursement from the Massachusetts School Building Authority and only have to pay $35 million instead of $60.9 million.

Others believed that if they spent more time on the project they would eventually get a second opportunity to be reimbursed by the state, but Hingham State Rep. Garrett Bradley proved them wrong. Bradley said hundreds of schools from across the state would like to be in the same situation as Hingham, and if this town does not seek the opportunity, they will lose it.

“We will absolutely lose our place in line with the MSBA funding,” Bradley said. “If this isn’t done… They [MSBA] will move on.”

Last night’s Special Town meeting brought hundreds of Hingham residents to the Hingham High School as it exceeded four hours.  Those who couldn’t get there early enough to find a seat in the gymnasium were seated in a packed auditorium and classrooms throughout the school and were able to take part in the meeting through a broadcast signal being fed throughout the school. Vehicles filled the parking lots and neighboring streets and many residents were forced to park at the South Shore Baptist Church and be shuttled over to the school by bus.

Hingham Voters will take their voice to the polls on Saturday.  Instead of two-thirds vote, the Hingham Middle School and High School Fields Project just need to take the majority vote to pass.

Polls will be open in Hingham on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.