The committee narrowly voted in favor of the project by a 4-3-1 vote.
Committee Chairwoman Lynn Bruneau, Vice Chairwoman Elaine Baird and members Nicholas Athanassiou and Roger Pearson voted to support the project. Members Robert Renn, Edmund Mahoney and Russell Lavoie voted against the project, and Timothy Counihan chose to abstain.
Those who voted in favor of the project cited the need for repairs and renovations at the nearly 50-year old school building; the laborious planning already done by the School Building Committee, architects and civil engineers; and the assurance of $36 million in state aid for the project, which can be claimed if the project is approved by May 31.
ORLEANS A joint meeting addressed a range of issues Wednesday about the $131.8 million high school project in the lead-up to a districtwide vote March 30.
Two questions will go before voters: Will they support the Nauset Regional High School building project and the debt it will incur? And will they approve a debt override to pay for it?
If the school project passes and the debt question fails, Orleans will have a $1 million budget deficit, Town Administrator John Kelly said during the meeting between the Nauset Regional School Committee, Select Board and Finance Committee.
“Hopefully, voters understand that if they vote in favor of the project, they need to vote yes on both,” he said. “This is not like a Town Meeting vote that’s contingent on a debt exclusion question passing. The debt exclusion and school project must pass on their own merits.”