Massachusetts town laments school construction bureaucracy

Belmont, Mass., school officials are frustrated with the state's new school building approval process, which they say has been slow and costly to the town. The town had hoped the Massachusetts School Building Authority would have approved funding assistance for a new Wellington Elementary School by now, but the project is still under review. Residents must approve a debt exclusion to pay for the town's portion of the estimated $54 million project, but the deadline for inclusion on the November ballot has passed. Now, the town will have to pay an extra $14,000 to hold a special election once the project is approved.