On Tuesday, Nov. 8, the people of Barrington approved a bond to build a new middle school in town.

And on Wednesday, the top administrators in the school district were looking ahead to the work that must be done before the new school is built. 

Superintendent of Schools Michael Messore and Director of Finance and Administration Ron Tarro said the building committee was slated to meet early this week to continue its work. They said the project manager and officials from Kaestle Boos Architects will eventually establish a timetable for the project.

"There's a lot more work to be done," Mr. Tarro added.

When all the votes were counted, the bond, which is not to exceed $68.4 million, won by a significant margin. There were 5,978 residents who approved the bond while 3,388 rejected it.

The final tally pleased Barrington School Committee Chairwoman Kate Brody.

"The Barrington School Committee, the Building Committee, and the leadership of Barrington Public Schools are grateful to the people of Barrington for approving the bond referendum to construct a new middle school," Ms. Brody wrote in a statement. 

"The favorable vote on Tuesday, was confirmed today, Nov. 9, which will enable us to launch an exciting new chapter for Barrington Middle School. We look forward to keeping the community informed about the project at www.bmsproject.org"

Mr. Messore also issued a statement following the bond's approval.

"Today, November 9, 2016, it was confirmed that the people of Barrington have approved the ballot question to finance the new Barrington Middle School project. We are grateful to all those who supported our students and the future of our town," he wrote.

"We look forward to getting this exciting project underway. The website www.bmsproject.org will remain live to keep the community informed moving forward. If the project remains on schedule, we will welcome students and staff to a state-of-the-art educational facility in August 2019! Thank you again, and congratulations on an exciting new chapter for Barrington Middle School!"

How much the bond will cost taxpayers depends on how resident's property values. 

It has been reported that the tax impact will be about $1.12 per $1,000 of assessed value, so for someone whose home is worth $400,000, the average annual bill for the bond alone will be about $450. That increase is separate (and in addition) from other potential tax increases for contractual services and other costs.

School officials said that about $670,000 in debt service will come off the books for the town in 2020, when the final bill is paid for the Barrington High School bond from years ago.

It was not clear when the impact of the new middle school bond will be felt by local taxpayers.