A petition warrant article calling for a budget cap of $29,000 per student in the ConVal School district failed in most ConVal towns, receiving just 36% of votes across the the district. 

Voters in Dublin and Francestown supported the article in the highest numbers, with 52% of voters in Francestown and 47% of Dublin voters in favor of the budget cap.  Both towns also had warrant articles on the ballot proposing withdrawal from the ConVal School District, both of which failed.

Hancock and Peterborough voters gave the least support to the budget cap article, with only 25% and 26% of voters approving, respectively. 

ConVal School Board Chair Mike Hoyt said the board was happy with the results of the election.

“As far as what we’ve been striving for and recommending, we could have not done much better. I think the people spoke,” he said. “We held a hearing about the budget cap in each of our towns,  and what we heard from people is that while they are concerned about the budget, they know there is already a system in operation that gives them a voice. People can express their voice by taking part in the budget process, by coming to deliberative session. They can already amend the budget of their choose to.” 

Blake Minckler of Dublin, who submitted the warrant article to the district on behalf of 25 ConVal district residents, said Wednesday that the purpose of introducing the warrant article was to “get people to wake up.” 

“The point of introducing the budget cap is to drive the involvement in the process. Did I catch some heat for introducing this warrant article? Yes, I did, and that’s OK.  I have five kids in these schools, so I am aware of the cuts that would come and how it might affect the schools and the students. My whole point was that people meed to wake up and participate and show up at the polls,” he said. “I attended nearly every School Board meeting last year and at many of them, I was the only member of the public who showed up.” 

Minckler, who was also elected to the Dublin Select Board, said he was looking forward to moving on. 

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“I’m excited for the year ahead,” he said. 

Jay Schecter of Dublin and the former Dublin Education Advisory Committee, which spearheaded the effort for the town to withdraw from ConVal,  said the article was another of symptom of residents’ disapproval of ConVal. 

“The proposal by some residents in Dublin for a cap is another example of the dissatisfaction within the ConVal district. Exploring the rationale for withdrawal of our Dublin Consolidated School from ConVal has been an education. Doing our research showed us that ConVal is on an unsustainable path. Academic scores are mediocre, attendance is dropping and costs are rising. The School Board has not articulated a plan to deal with any of this. Perhaps if the budget cap passes, the board will finally wake up to its responsibilities. Keep in mind that the school budget only passed by about three votes a few years ago.  That close call failed to motivate any substantive changes,” Schechter stated Tuesday. 

Leo Plante of Dublin, who was one of the organizers of the budget cap article, compared ConVal’s current spending per pupil in Dublin to the situation in Mason. 

“Is a $29,000 per student cap on public school expenditures adequate to properly educate Dublin children? Here is a tale of two towns. Dublin spends $39,000 per pupil to send its children to ConVal-operated schools. In 2024 only 48% and 30% of Dublin elementary school pupils achieved proficiency on state reading and math achievement tests. Mason operates its own school district and elementary school. In 2024, Mason spent $17,000 per pupil and 90% and 77% of its elementary school children were proficient in reading and math. Why would any rational person question why Dublin wishes to exit ConVal?” Plante stated Tuesday. 

Voters cite cap concerns

At the polls on Tuesday, voters across the ConVal district expressed concern about the proposed cap, which the ConVal School Board estimated would have cut $3 million from this year’s budget, potentially impacting staffing levels,  sports, extracurriculars and enrichment programs. 

“I’m concerned about limiting support for students. Our public schools are under attack,” said Cindy Lynch of Peterborough, who voted against the cap.

Outside the polls in Dublin, voter Fred Giaimo said that he was against the budget cap article.

“I don’t mind paying taxes for education,” he said. 

Bill Joyner of Sharon also said he was opposed to the cap. 

“I can’t understand it,” he said. “Let them come up with an actual budget. The ConVal School Board spent a lot of time creating a budget. Vote that one either up or down.”

In Temple, Helen Croteau spoke against the budget cap.

“We have to pay for our schools,” she said. 

Peterborough resident Owen Mueller said that he voted against both the $61 million ConVal budget recommended by the School Board and the budget cap.

In  Temple, voter Gary Scholl expressed an aversion to cutting school funding . 

“Public education is the most important thing a community does,” he said. 

William Torphy, also of Temple, said that he understood the need for increased funds for the schools as opposed to cutting them. 

“Costs go up year over year,” he said. 

In Hancock, resident Pierce Rigrod expressed his opposition to the budget cap warrant article, explaining that rather than base school spending on one figure, “We should be smart enough to create our own budget.”

Linda Mason of Hancock said, “I don’t mind paying a bit more in taxes if schools are going to have sports and technology.”

Outside the Hancock Meetinghouse, Ron Levy stood behind a table with signs encouraging support for the schools and for voting against the budget cap.

“It’s sabotage,” he said.