School Committee backs new construction for Dighton Elementary School

School Committee · Meeting of August 11, 2026

REHOBOTH — Dighton-Rehoboth School Committee backs new construction for Dighton Elementary, sets up a spring town vote. Superintendent Bill Rooney told the committee the district has settled on new construction over renovation for the aging school, calling it "not only less expensive... but it also takes less time," with a special town meeting and debt-exclusion ballot question expected next spring. The committee also approved $265,718.55 in budget transfers for a plow truck and for a previously approved playground, library and tennis court project, all drawn from a transportation-line surplus in the district's $56 million budget.

Members accepted a $72,100 grant from the Brookline Center for Community Mental Health for the high school's BRITE program and voted 7-1, with the donor abstaining, to accept a donated 2015 Nissan Leaf worth about $5,875 from committee member Joseph Luca for the CTE automotive program. The meeting opened with a moment of silence for a Rehoboth student, identified as Bella Ruto, who recently died.

In the full story:

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Source: the School Committee meeting of August 11, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.