Needham homeowners would pay an average of $1,423 more per year in property taxes over 11 years if voters approve a $325.4 million debt exclusion override for a new Pollard Middle School in November.

The Select Board voted 4-1 on Thursday, Aug. 6, to formally place the question on the Nov. 3 ballot, clearing the way for what would be the town's largest-ever capital project. Vice Chair Josh Levy cast the lone dissenting vote.

The tax figures, shared at a July 22 community meeting and reported by Needham Local, show a peak annual increase of $2,366 in FY 2034. Town officials have noted that estimate is based on an earlier, slightly higher project cost and may come in lower under the current $325.4 million budget. Needham's average single-family tax bill in FY26 is $16,690.

As we reported Aug. 4, the board held a special session on Monday, Aug. 3, to begin work on the ballot language and a related Warner Field memorandum of agreement. Thursday's meeting was the formal sign-off, with a Friday, Aug. 7, deadline to submit the question to the Massachusetts Secretary of State's office.

Why Levy voted no

Levy said the project contains "material deficiencies." He pointed to two gaps: the proposed general classroom space falls about 10,000 square feet below MSBA guidance, and the planned media center, at 5,050 square feet, is roughly 3,000 square feet short of the MSBA-recommended 8,056 square feet.

"I'm absolutely in favor of a theater, for instance. Not at the expense of classrooms, not at the expense of a media center," Levy said before casting his vote. "I'm not looking for perfect. I'm looking to meet, at the minimum, the minimum standards of the MSBA."

Director of Design and Construction Hank Haff responded that an additional 3,000 square feet of library and media space will be distributed across 15 extended learning clusters throughout the building. The existing Pollard library is 3,760 square feet.

Four members back the question

Select Board member Cathy Dowd called the project "well-planned" and "well-baked," saying there wasn't much of a choice but to let voters decide. Member Bill Dermody agreed, noting that further delay could raise costs.

The board also voted unanimously Thursday to execute a memorandum of agreement with several town boards regarding Article 97, the state law governing conservation and recreational land, related to the project's use of underground space at Warner Field.

The MSBA's Facilities Assessment Subcommittee already approved the Pollard schematic design on July 29. The full MSBA board meets Aug. 26 to vote on the project's budget and scope agreement, which will set the agency's final maximum reimbursement rate. School officials expect MSBA to cover 20–25% of the cost, or $65 million to $80 million.

That vote will be conditional, Town Manager Katie King said at the Aug. 6 meeting, pending a Special Town Meeting vote in October, voter approval on Nov. 3 and other local permits. The Needham Observer previously reported the Special Town Meeting date as Oct. 19.

If all approvals hold, construction on the 265,572-square-foot building is expected to begin in mid-2028. If the override fails, Superintendent Dan Gutekanst has said the district would instead pursue repairs to the current Pollard, built in 1958, at an estimated cost of $152 million with no MSBA reimbursement.

A community information session is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Aug. 26 at the Pollard auditorium and on Zoom, following the MSBA vote.