Greenfield’s representative to the ConVal School Board, Curtis Hamilton, began Tuesday evening’s public hearing in Dublin about a petition article to establish a budget cap for ConVal by presenting the anticipated impact on education and school programming if it passes March 11.

Hamilton was followed at the podium by the author of the warrant article, who took exception to how his efforts were characterized by the board.

“I don’t appreciate the personal dig that I didn’t participate in the budget process,” said Blake Minckler of Dublin who authored the petition warrant article. “I was at another budget meeting.”

The warrant article would cap the district’s budget at $29,000 per pupil, multiplied by the numbers of students in the district, and allowing for an increase for inflation. Using an average daily attendance figure of 1,936, the budget for 2025-2026 would be $56,144,000. The School Board has recommended a budget of $61,391,446.

Hamilton walked the audience of approximately 25 through a slide presentation that indicated programs, sports and clubs that would be impacted by the budget proposed by the petition warrant article. Hamilton said that the difference of over $5 million in the budget in the event of the petition warrant article succeeding would be felt across the board.

“Even if we cut every school supply, every sport, every paraprofessional and 15 teachers, we’re still not there,” said Hamilton. “Federal and state aid is down 20%, but we’re still required to provide special education services.”

“The budget sailed through untouched,” said Minckler, who was on the Dublin Education Advisory Committee. “We cut teachers, but still have two vice principals at the high school.”

Dublin Select Board and DEAC member Carole Monroe asked the School Board what its solutions were for the situation. Board Chair Richard Dunning of Peterborough responded by saying that there is a limited number of trust fund warrant articles this year, adding that “There are two assistant principals at the high school for various reasons, such as behavioral issues and special education. It’s not that simple.”

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Dunning also said that the district had previously employed one principal who was shared between schools, which met with some parent dissatisfaction.

“We heard that people didn’t like it, and it’s gone,” said Dunning. Saying that there has been a $174 million reduction in state aid for special education, he added, “Your voice should be directed at the state.”

Temple School Board representative Jim Kingston said that an additional burden on the district is that it is now required to provide special education services to individuals until their 22nd birthday.

“We have a spending problem, and we need to fix it, but not with a spending cap,” said Kingston.

Dublin resident Blake Anderson, who was also on DEAC, asked the board whether it had considered a proposal from a group from Temple that involved consolidating various schools within fewer buildings. Bennington board representative Michael Hoyt said that to do anything along those lines before the  withdrawal requests from Francestown and Dublin were decided was not considered. Both towns are looking to withdraw from ConVal, and residents will vote March 11.

A former principal in Franklin, Hoyt said that a municipal tax cap was enacted there in 1989 and noted the impact on schools.

“There was no art and no music offered,” because of the cap, said Hoyt.

“You’ve got to find creative ways to size the budget with the revenues you have,” said Anderson.

“We tried a painful solution of closing four smaller schools, but that was shot down,” said Peterborough representative Janine Lesser. “The district as structured is unsustainable.”

Jay Schechter of the DEAC said town residents are paying between $35,000 and $37,000 per student for children in district schools, while another town is paying close to $15,000 per student.

“So Dublin is paying for other towns to attend ConVal,” Schechter said.

Anderson thanked the School Board for their service and efforts. Noting his background in municipal finance, he added that “You have a petition warrant article, and move for withdrawals from the district -- you have to get control of the cost side.”