Tri-town Select Boards align on fiscal constraints for regional school budgeting
Select Board · Meeting of January 6, 2026
LANCASTER — Three towns address regional school budget planning amid fiscal constraints. Lancaster Select Board members Ralph Gifford and Jason Allison joined Bolton and Stow representatives on January 6 to discuss budget challenges. Lancaster emphasized its fiscal pressures: a residential tax base and education expenses consuming 68 percent of municipal revenue.
The town indicated capacity to sustain a 2.5 percent annual school assessment increase without new revenue. All three towns agreed to reconvene in October 2026 for continued budget coordination, pending Superintendent Kirk Downing's initial budget workshop January 14.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 234 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of January 6, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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