By a landslide 93% majority, Town Meeting voters approved Article 12, authorizing $1.75 million for a feasibility study to determine the future of the Alden School. The study is a mandatory step in the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) process, which could see the state reimburse the town for 35.4% of the eventual project costs. Building Committee Chair John Lemieux warned that rejecting the study would force Duxbury to go to the back of the line with the MSBA.

The discussion highlighted the deteriorating state of the school, which was built in 1949. Superintendent Dr. Danielle Klingaman described a constant battle to keep the building dry, noting at least four insurance claims due to storm damage in recent years. Jen Burns, a teacher at the school, provided a firsthand account of the conditions, describing the library as flooded and reporting that water enters the building from the roof, the ground, and the sides.

The study will evaluate whether the school should be repaired, renovated, or replaced entirely with new construction. While the $1.75 million cost is significant, officials noted the impact on the typical household would be roughly $1 per week. The overwhelming support for the article suggests a broad consensus that the current facility is no longer adequate for the town's students.

Motion: [I move to approve Article 12 for the $1,750,000 Alden School Feasibility Study.]

Vote: 93% Yes, 7% No