Douglas Select Board Approves Events, Defers School Roof Warrant Vote to March 31

DOUGLAS — March 17, 2026 — Douglas Select Board defers school roof warrant vote, approves community events slate. The board voted unanimously March 17 to continue the annual town meeting warrant closing to March 31, 2026, after extended debate over whether to pursue a Massachusetts School Building Authority accelerated repair grant for the Douglas Primary School roof, windows, and doors replacement. Superintendent Paul Beyer and Business Manager Diana Landry presented an MSBA proposal carrying a 57.74 percent reimbursement rate and a warrant article capped at $350,000 for schematic design alone — a figure that prompted skepticism from board members who noted the town recently completed a comparable roof project at another building for just over $400,000 total. The school's 37,000-square-foot roof is nearly 30 years old, though 6,000 square feet replaced in 2017 are ineligible for MSBA reimbursement. In other action, the board approved a one-day entertainment license for the fourth annual Picnic in the Park, relocating to Soldiers Field August 15 with a four-food-truck cap, granted entertainment licenses to the Douglas Common Preservation Society for an April 4 Easter egg hunt and a May 2 Hummingbird Festival with improved DPW-lot shuttle parking, approved the Whitesville Fish and Game Club's ABCC officer-change filing, and authorized creation of an Open Space Committee donation account.