Sports

Despite many positive opinions about the proposal, there are still mixed feelings surrounding it. English teacher and Northborough resident Jane Betar, while acknowledging the necessity for certain aspects of the Gonkplex, specifically the track and ADA compliant stands, has doubts.

“I feel like it is a grand plan at a challenging time,” Betar said. “I feel like it could be scaled down … Our economy isn’t great. We pay high taxes in Northborough as it is, and I would like to see the essentials improved.”

Walsh, who was the Algonquin athletic director for 10 years and football coach for 23 years, shares similar views on what should be prioritized in order to get the project passed.

“I think it’s important to make sure that on this new project that we emphasize the things that we really need first,” Walsh said. “It would be nice to have them all, but in trying to get [everything,] we may not be able to get them at all.”

In February, the Harbinger interviewed students and staff in a Roving Reporter to gather opinions on the project, and found that some were concerned about the cost or the potential disruptions to fall sports.

“My concern is staffing and funding,” cafeteria staff Pam Hodge said. “Once it is done, how will it be maintained? While it is being renovated, how will the teams play?”

“Some [of the athletic complex] should be renovated and I know the tennis courts are kind of rough,” freshman Abigail Wood said. “… The money could be better spent fixing the school WiFi or intercoms.”

If approval is secured, a contract will be finalized and the timeline for the Gonkplex’s construction will be brief, according to the committee. With construction beginning this spring, it is expected to conclude in September.

“We’re hoping that we can break ground sometime in June,” Mocerino said. “If that is the case and everything goes well, we were told that there’s a potential to be ready to go for this fall. We’re talking about a months-long timeline, but we understand that things can happen along the process. So we’re going to be planning as we go, in case.”

Mocerino is optimistic that disruption to fall sports will be minimal.

“We might have to have a couple sporting events [such as] football or maybe potentially soccer that might have to play on the road,” Mocerino said. “But we have the capability with all of our lower fields that we can come up with a schedule that limits the disruption … So we’re going to do everything in our power to make sure we can keep our sports teams on campus, and if we have to adjust, have a schedule that will adjust accordingly.”

Budget

The future of Gonkplex depends on the towns voting to fund the project.

“Our school committee is in support of the change, and so the funding is really the most important piece to come next,” Bevan said.

Right now, the project is estimated to cost about $7.5 million, which would mainly be raised through taxes from Northborough and Southborough. This cost would be split between the towns according to the school enrollment percentages over the last four years, with Northborough to cover about $4.7 million (62.33%) and $2.8 million for Southborough (37.67%).

“A cost like what they’re looking at, which is greater than $7 million, is not the kind of cost we can absorb in our what we call the operating budget,” Bevan said. “So it would require town members to come out and vote from each town based on the proportion of students who enroll here from each town. That’s how that would break down.”

While the funding can not be officially finalized until after approval, the estimates give the community an idea of the scale of the project. Algonquin students were presented with the information during class meetings on Feb. 16 to help increase awareness in the community of the proposal and associated costs.

“Right now [the committee] is making sure that both towns are getting accurate information and spreading awareness,” Mocernino said. “I think we have a long way to go because there is going to be a price tag associated with both towns.”

The upcoming town meeting for Southborough is scheduled for March 25 and April 25 for Northbor-