“This building is going to be unlike any other that exists. It’s very unique,” said Superintendent McCarthy, regarding the new middle school/high school building.

The vote is in. With 2933 out of a total of 5554 voting for the middle school override, the middle school construction process will soon begin. Despite the success, questions have arisen from the voting totals. What are the demographics of the precincts that voted no? What influenced them to vote no?

Both Precincts 4 and 6 voted against the middle school override, which is a proposal to increase property taxes for the school’s budget for construction on the school buildings. Precinct 4 includes the Driftway along with the three cliffs, and Precinct 6 covers Sand Hills and Lighthouse Point.

The proposal of the middle school override will now become a plan put into action. The construction process will begin November of 2016 and will last twenty-one months. It should be completed by September of 2017. Once the construction is complete, the current Gates building will be turned over to the town, and decisions will be made regarding the current building and land.

The cost of construction greatly influenced people’s voting. The total cost is $75,000,000, and the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) will reimburse the town for $20,630,601. This leaves a remaining cost of $54,369,399 — a cost that is still daunting to some. For others, however, the benefits outweigh the costs.

Town Clerk Kathleen Curran said the school was discussed at great length, and for that reason “people knew how they wanted to vote.” As a result, only five people left the question blank, meaning they did not submit an answer to the question.

When we put all of this information together, we are left with one last question: why did Precincts 4 and 6 vote against the middle school override? In 2014, the average number of Scituate residents ages eighteen and under for Precincts 1, 2, 3, and 5 was 626. Precincts 4 and 6 were noticeably lower, with 419 in Precinct 4 and 479 in Precinct 6. Perhaps Scituate residents without children in school did not vote in favor of a combination of the high school and middle school as it would not directly benefit them. Additionally, in 2014 the average number of Scituate residents ages fifty-five and older in Precincts 1, 2, 3, and 5 was 1,160. Precinct 6 is within the average at 1,168, but Precinct 4 had 1,547. Perhaps the older residents who are now in retirement and on a fixed income did not vote in favor of the middle school override as the increase in their taxes could cause them financial stress.

The demographics of Scituate played a significant role in this recent town vote. Clearly there is more to a ballot than what is written with a pencil and paper.