The Neary School Building Committee convened on March 31, 2025, to discuss significant changes regarding the future of the Fin School and the town's space needs. The meeting focused on a proposal to close the Fin School and repurpose it as a town building, addressing the long-standing issue of overcrowded town offices.

The committee highlighted that the Council on Aging, which represents seniors in Southborough, was consulted about relocating the senior center to the closed Fin School. However, the seniors expressed a preference to remain in their current location. Instead, they requested access to the bottom floor of the senior center, which is currently occupied by several town departments. The tentative plan involves relocating these departments to the Fin School, allowing for renovations to the senior center's bottom floor to better serve the seniors' needs.

The proposal also includes plans for the Fin School to provide additional town space, potentially offering a full-time gymnasium for community use. This is particularly relevant as the existing gym at the NHERI is currently unusable, forcing local basketball programs to schedule games at inconvenient times. The committee noted that discussions on the specific uses for the Fin School are ongoing.

Financially, the costs associated with operating the Fin School as a town building have been incorporated into the seven-year town budget. This transition will involve moving funds from the school budget to the town budget, ensuring that the financial implications are accounted for.

Looking ahead, the committee outlined a timeline for moving the project forward. Two critical votes are required: the first will occur on May 10 during a special town meeting at Algonquin, where a two-thirds majority is needed to approve the project. The second vote will take place during the regular town election on May 13, where a simple majority will be required to exclude the Neary project debt from the annual levy cap.

The meeting concluded with a formal presentation of the proposal, emphasizing the importance of community involvement in the upcoming votes and the potential benefits of the project for Southborough residents.