School Construction Bond Fails

By Cynthia Drummond for BRVCA
May 8th 2024

RICHMOND – The Chariho school construction bond has failed. Richmond voters narrowly defeated it, Hopkinton soundly defeated it and Charlestown strongly supported it.

The question was whether the School District should borrow up to $150 million, with significant reimbursement from the state, for the construction of three new elementary schools and improvements to the main campus.

The Vote Counts

Charlestown was the only Chariho town where “yes” votes outnumbered “no” votes.

829 yes to 330 no, with 31 mail ballots

Richmond had the closest vote, but there are 29 mail ballots still to be counted:

798 no and 782 yes.

In Hopkinton, with 60 mail ballots counted:

705 yes and 1,278 no.

The School Committee voted last January to require each Chariho town to approve the bond in order for it to pass, and two towns rejected it – Hopkinton by a significant margin.

School Committee Chair Catherine Giusti, a resident of Hopkinton, said the result was not surprising.

“It was a lot to ask of them, and I’m not taking this as a sign that the town of Hopkinton does not support education,” she said.

“I’m taking it as a sign that we need to go back to the drawing board and figure out a more palatable way to support Chariho.”

Chariho Superintendent of Schools Gina Picard said the district would now “regroup,” and decide how to move forward following the referendum defeat, although the process of closing Hope Valley Elementary School, a measure opposed by many Hopkinton residents, has already begun with the closing of kindergarten in September and is expected to continue in the coming years until the school is shuttered altogether.

“In the face of adversity, we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing the best education for our children,” Picard said in an emailed statement. “While the bond may have been rejected, we view this as an opportunity to regroup, reassess, and emerge stronger. Our resolve remains unshaken as we embark on a new journey, forging a fresh path toward securing the resources our schools need to thrive. Together, with renewed determination and community support, we will craft a new plan that reflects our shared values and aspirations for our children's future.”

Giusti reflected on the division and acrimony that preceded the vote.

“I think what got lost in this entire debate was the fact that we have aging school buildings that we need to figure out how we’re going to maintain, and all of that got lost and every other issue that bothers people got brought up, and what I think this shows is, Hopkinton is very angry, but I don’t think it’s about just one thing,” she said. “I think that what the old guard Hopkinton is angry with is, they see the community changing and they do not want the community to change.”