The Build Arlington’s Future campaign committee announced that it will donate remaining campaign funds to Arlington’s school department. The funds, about $1,100, are earmarked for middle-school library resources.
“The campaign’s supporters indicated the value they place on our schools, and we wanted to honor their intentions by using the remaining funds to assist with expanding the middle school to two buildings,” said Moriah Tyrrell, co-manager of the committee, in a news release Tuesday, Aug. 2. “We couldn’t be happier with the outcome of the election. Arlington is deeply committed to public education, and we saw that with the overwhelming support of our schools.”
By Massachusetts law, municipal ballot committees must dissolve once the ballot questions have been decided. Residual funds can be donated to charities, the state or the municipality, but cannot be carried over to future ballot committees. The campaign raised $17,181 from 227 donors in seven weeks.
“We were thrilled with the community’s response to the campaign’s fund-raising effort,” said Juliet Moir, fund-raising co-chair for the committee. “The ease with which we were able to meet our fund-raising goal is a testament to the widespread support of the Build Arlington’s Future campaign and we are grateful for our donors’ generosity.
“We take our stewardship of these donations seriously, and knowing that our donors contributed with the intent of supporting our public schools, we felt it was appropriate to direct the remaining money accordingly.”
All three ballot measures passed by wide margins on June 14.
Superintendent Kathleen Bodie was pleased with the election results: “On behalf of our students and staff, I want to thank the Arlington community for the overwhelming support it has shown our schools with the positive vote to fund the addition at Thompson, the renovation of Gibbs to house the sixth grade, and to fund Arlington’s share of the new Minuteman High School. Looking ahead, we hope for continued strong community support for the Arlington High School project.
“The donation of the remaining funds from the Build Arlington’s Future campaign for school library resources is very much appreciated and will help fund the creation of the new Gibbs library.”
Members of the campaign committee will present the check to the school department in September, after the Arlington School Committee resumes its meetings.
June 14, 2016: UNANIMOUS — Town voters say yes, yes, yes in all precincts
June 8, 2016: Seniors raise pointed questions, get basic answers about 3 Tuesday ballot questions
June 12, 2016: Globe summary of issues in school ballot vote
May 28: Opposition emerges to Minutemen rebuild on ballot-question vote
Opinion: Two cases for a no vote for Minuteman | Vote yes on three school questions June 14
This announcement was published Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016.
