By JOSEPH FITZGERALD

BLACKSTONE — Gov. Deval Patrick has signed into law legislation that will allow the Blackstone-Millville Regional School District to use surplus money from the construction of the Frederick W. Hartnett Middle School for other district-related capital expenses. The legislation, cosponsored by Sen. Richard T. Moore (D-Uxbridge) and Rep. Jennifer Callahan (D-Sutton), was given final approval by the House and Senate and signed by the governor earlier this week, according to Moore.

“I am pleased we were able to get this bill through the Senate so quickly,” Moore said. “This legislation will allow the school district to use this surplus money to finally address outstanding capital needs. I must commend the school officials on their effective advocacy. It absolutely resulted in this timely passage.”
The funds — more than $320,000 — are left over from the bonds that the school district sold for the Hartnett Middle School project. Not all of the bond proceeds were expended because the project was completed under budget. The legislation, Moore said, allows the school district to spend the proceeds on other capital projects such as connecting the high school to Blackstone’s sewer system, repairing school buildings, updating playgrounds and athletic fields, purchasing school department equipment and reconstructing school roadways and parking lots.
“The bill sat in the House for four or five months and the senator really pushed for it, which resulted in a really fast turnaround,” said Shawn Collins, Moore’s director of communications. The Blackstone-Millville Regional School District was established in 1967 to serve the needs of students from the towns of Blackstone and Millville. The District consists of one elementary school in Millville, two elementary schools in Blackstone, one Middle School and one High School.
In recent years, the Blackstone-Millville Regional School District has constructed two new elementary schools as well as rehabilitated the John F. Kennedy School. The district opened the Frederick W. Hartnett Middle School in August of 2003. The Blackstone-Millville Regional School District has a pre-K through 12th-grade enrollment of around 2,291 students.