Select Board Approves Outreach Ahead of School Vote

Select Board · Meeting of July 27, 2026

Templeton Select Board launched a voter-education push ahead of an Aug. 3 vote on a $26,987,139 regional school budget. The board voted 4-0 to have Clerk April Cover work with Town Administrator James Ryan on social media and website messaging explaining that Templeton can only sustain a level-funded $25,285,203 assessment, warning "the results are more layoffs, more cuts" if the certified figure stands. Cover said "we honestly can't afford to lose any more essential employees." In a separate 3-1 vote, with Vice Chair Timothy Toth abstaining, the board directed Ryan to merge two draft policies requiring faster board notification of incidents after members said they learned of a paramedic assault and a bomb threat from Facebook rather than staff.

The board also heard it still cannot locate a veterans monument for which records show roughly $7,375 was paid to the now-defunct Athol Granite Works in 2019.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,147 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of July 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.