In a unanimous vote, Town Meeting approved Article 37, authorizing the Select Board to petition the state legislature for the authority to sell or lease a portion of the Old Cushing School site to the Scituate Food Pantry. Select Board member Jamie Gilmore characterized the vote as the start of a multi-year process to secure a stable, long-term location for the pantry. We want the Scituate Food Pantry to have a place to go if we move forward with housing at the Old Gates School, Gilmore explained.

The authorization allows the town to consider a lease of up to 50 years, providing the security needed for the pantry's operations. Advisory Board member Missy Sidelo clarified that this vote simply gets us in the queue for state approval and that any final agreement would still be subject to a further public process. The decision aligns with the town's broader redistricting and facility transition plans as construction continues on the new Cushing-Hatherly school project.