We Support a New Shaker Lane School!

YES! We Support a New Shaker Lane School!

Yes for Littleton’s Schools, Yes for Littleton’s Future

A LANDSLIDE VICTORY FOR LITTLETON’S FUTURE!

Huge thanks go to each and every one of you for donating your time and money, for making sacrifices to attend Town Meeting, for talking with your community members, for attending meetings and getting involved in your little town, and for VOTING! Please keep this energy up! Big change starts small.

This victory belongs to each and every one of us. Thank you, Littleton!

Shaker Lane Project Update, September 2025

YES for Shaker Lane School—a fiscally sound choice for Littleton

Shaker Lane School was built in 1959, when Littleton’s population was roughly 5,100—half of what it is today. The building is beyond its useful life expectancy and no longer serves the town’s growing population or 21st century education plan.

This fall, the town of Littleton will choose between building a brand-new Shaker Lane School now or delaying for 10 years while sinking millions into code upgrades to the current building—not a renovation or a solution. A new school must be built.

Either way, the town will be asked to make a significant investment.

Either way, a debt exclusion will be needed and taxes will go up.

Either way, a new school must be built to serve our growing town.

A YES vote buys us:

A brand new, sustainable, Shaker Lane School designed for 21st century learning, accessibility, and growth, built on the fields behind the current school to avoid disruptions to student population, plus new fields—all with $38.2 M in grant funding.

GUARANTEED total project cost: the final appropriation amount to be approved at Town Meeting; this is not the taxpayers’ cost	$98.1 M
GUARANTEED MSBA grant: increased by $8.8 M and ours for the taking	$38.2 M
Net project cost:	$59.9 M
Net bond amount: actual cost to Littleton’s taxpayers, reduced by $9.2 M by the Town	$50.7 M
Est. split tax impact, year 1 (FY30): “first year, worst year”—bill will decrease each year; based on the average FY25 Littleton home value of $694,868; bond term 20 years; reflects estimated future split tax rates; Debt Exclusion Stabilization fund pays 14.35% of debt over 20 years	$719.20 ($60/mo)

A NO vote buys us:

At least ten years of maintenance on the existing building, code upgrades (not renovations), enough modular classrooms for the entire school. Then, the cost of a new Shaker Lane School including years of cost escalation and no grant funding.

Estimated cost of code upgrades: final cost may be higher; will worsen space issues and require modular classrooms	$44 M
Estimated cost of modular classrooms: 22 modulars needed for all 414 students during repairs	$12 M
Estimated net project cost:	$56 M
Estimated net bond amount: estimated cost to Littleton’s taxpayers, reduced by $5 M by the Town	$51 M
Est. tax impact, year 1: “first year, worst year”—bill will decrease each year; based on the average FY25 Littleton home value of $694,868; bond term 10 years	$1,494.77 ($125/mo)
PLUS a new Shaker Lane School: reflects 10 years of cost escalation compounded at a 5% annual increase	$161.5 M

Investment in early education has a huge impact on students and their communities. Let’s build a new school to be proud of.

What about tariffs and other cost uncertainties?

The $98.1 M total project cost has price escalation and contingency built-in. This project budget is final; if costs come in higher down the road, measures will be taken to fit within the budget. The town will not be asked for additional funding.

Once we vote YES, our MSBA grant is locked in. There are no outside political forces that can take away this funding.

Littleton will be working with a construction manager at risk (per Chapter 149A) who will ensure we do not exceed our budgeted total project cost (GMP, or guaranteed maximum price). Any budget overage will be the responsibility of the construction manager at risk, who also builds in contingency and carries insurance for such a situation. The GMP guarantees that the project will not cost one penny more than $98.1 M.

Code upgrades to the existing building will have no such budget protections and costs could balloon significantly due to tariffs, scarcity of replacement parts and other factors.

This is the best price we’ll get for a new Shaker Lane, as construction costs are escalating 4–8% yearly and a future grant is not guaranteed.

In a time of so much uncertainty, a new Shaker Lane School is a safe bet. Let’s take pride in our town and use our tax dollars for something good.

Has anything been done to further reduce the costs to the taxpayer?

Littleton’s Select Board, Finance Committee and School Committee have estimated that $7.2 million can be appropriated into a School Building Stabilization fund by FY28. In addition, a $2 million bond premium—essentially a principal payment made immediately upon issuing the bond—further reduces the burden on taxpayers. The bond we’d issue is estimated at $50.7 million, reduced from $59.9 million.

Why is the building code upgrade bond estimated at 10 years vs 20 years for the new school?

Building code upgrades—such as repairs to boilers, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, the roof, the fire alarm panel, etc.—simply shore up an aging building that we know is not adequate for our children’s educational needs, per the MSBA. Since the estimate to re-enter the MSBA program is 5–7 years, a 10 year bond would prevent the Town from having overlapping debt when the project comes around again for approval.