Town Meeting voters unanimously approved funding Monday night for John W. Decas Elementary School to take the first step towards getting a new roof to replace the leaky section over its East Wing, and boiler.

The article called for $60,000 from free cash to fund a feasibility study on the work that needs to be done on the roof and boiler. The feasibility study is a required first step to get additional state funding, and will pay for a project manager, commissioning architects, and roof and boiler specifications.

Town Administrator Derek Sullivan said the school has been accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s accelerated repair program, meaning the town will be reimbursed up to 70 percent of the cost of the project. The $60,000 is "slightly higher than for the High School roof project that was just completed."

“It is estimated this will not exceed $60,000” Sullivan said. “Information on the [Authority’s] website shows that for comparable projects to replace either a roof or a boiler, the feasibility studies tend to cost around $20,000 – $30,000."

Sullivan said because the money would come from free cash, any unspent money would be rolled back into free cash for next year.

Though there was a majority vote by Selectmen to pass the article, Selectman Alan Slavin spoke against the article, saying his “issue is simply that we have two elementary schools to replace or rehab.”

“We are putting money into two schools that are eventually going to have to be torn down, or rebuilt,” Slavin said. “I would like to see the School Committee work on a plan for this. The bottom line is the two schools need major work.”