The ConVal Withdrawal Committee voted Thursday night to approve its final report to the state Department of Education, with only two representatives from Francestown dissenting.
Tom Kirlin, Francestown’s school board representative, and Charles Pyle, a Francestown Select Board member, voted against approval of the report.
On Oct. 2, the committee voted 8-6 not to recommend to the state Board of Education that Francestown withdraw from the ConVal School District.
A warrant article calling for Francestown’s withdrawal from ConVal failed by a narrow margin in March 2025, when both Francestown and Dublin proposed withdrawal articles. Francestown’s article received 81% approval from voters in town but only 38% districtwide, failing by 82 votes. Dublin’s article drew 51% support locally and 37% across the district. To pass, a withdrawal article must receive at least 60% approval in the withdrawing town or 40% districtwide.
The Francestown School Committee, which officially represents the town, has repeatedly stated that its top priority is keeping Francestown Elementary School open after the ConVal district proposed a consolidation plan in 2024 that would have closed several small elementary schools.
Over the past 15 years, community members have brought forth three petition warrant articles calling for school consolidation due to rising costs.
Over the last five months, the ConVal Withdrawal Committee has studied the potential impact of Francestown’s withdrawal, which would result in the town forming an independent school district. The FSC has said Francestown would tuition older students back into the ConVal district.
The nine-town district currently operates eight elementary schools, several with fewer than 50 students. Francestown Elementary School has an enrollment of 34 students, while 41 Francestown students attend Great Brook Middle School and 46 attend ConVal Regional High School.
In its education plan, the FSC cited other small New Hampshire towns — including Cornish, Hill and Mason — that have successfully withdrawn from larger districts.
ConVal officials, however, have raised concerns about whether such a small district could recruit staff and meet all state education requirements.
The Withdrawal Committee’s final report states that if Francestown withdraws from the district, costs to the other eight towns in the district will rise. ConVal Business Administrator Neal Cass said on Oct. 2 that the districtwide school tax assessment rate would increase by 3.91%, or a total of $1.7 million, if Francestown withdraws.
Cass noted that those numbers are based on the assumption that Francestown will tuition students past grade five into ConVal for middle and high school.
Committee members who voted in favor of withdrawal are required to submit a minority report to the state DOE. In November, once the reports have been received, the DOE will hold a hearing to decide whether to approve Francestown’s withdrawal and minority plans. If they are approved, the issue will go before district voters in March.
The Withdrawal Committee’s final report will be available on the ConVal website on Tuesday, Oct. 21.