After a two-year effort, Francestown voters won approval to withdraw from the ConVal School District when 46% of district voters supported the measure, surpassing the 40% threshold required under state law.
The vote allows the town to begin the process of forming an independent school district to operate Francestown Elementary School.
Francestown’s previous attempt to withdraw failed in 2025 by just 82 votes. Among the district’s other towns, the proposal received its strongest support in Dublin and Temple, both of which have considered withdrawal proposals in the past two years.
Last year, while 81% of Francestown voters supported the proposal, only 38% of the voters in ConVal’s eight other towns supported the article, which failed to reach the 40% threshold required for the article to pass according to state law.
Laura Mafera, a member of the Francestown School Committee, said Wednesday morning that Francestown was grateful for district support.
“This vote reflects a community’s commitment to its school and the belief that local voices should guide the future of public education in Francestown. We appreciate the engagement from voters across ConVal. Francestown looks forward to working cooperatively through the transition and supporting strong public education throughout the region,” Mafera said on behalf of the town.
Francestown’s proposals to withdraw from the larger district came about as a result of ConVal’s attempt to move toward consolidation of the district’s elementary schools in 2023, which could have closed FES and sent Francestown students to schools in neighboring ConVal towns.
Francestown’s education plan proposes that students in grades K-6 will be educated at Francestown Elementary School. Currently, students in all of ConVal’s elementary schools, except Dublin, attend fifth grade at either Southmeadow or Great Brook middle schools.
The plan proposes that Francestown students who wish to attend public school for grades 7-12 will tuition back into ConVal middle and high schools.
The Con Val School Board released a statement by School Board Chair Michael Hoyt of Bennington on Wednesday morning.
“The Contoocook Valley School Board acknowledges the result of the district-wide vote on the withdrawal of Francestown from the ConVal School District. The measure received 77 percent support from Francestown voters and 46 percent support district-wide, meeting the requirements under state law for withdrawal. The School Board recognizes the strong views that residents across our communities brought to this question and respects the democratic process through which this decision was made.
“For nearly six decades, our nine towns have worked together through ConVal to educate our children. That partnership has allowed our communities to share resources, manage risk, and provide educational opportunities that would be difficult for any one town to sustain alone. With the vote now concluded, the School Board’s focus will turn to two responsibilities: First, we will work in good faith with the Town of Francestown and all relevant parties to carry out the withdrawal process in accordance with state law, while ensuring that Francestown students and families continue to have a positive school year during this transition.
“Second, and most importantly, we will focus on the continued strength and long-term
stability of the ConVal School District for the students and communities of our district.
This transition will present operational and financial challenges. The School Board and
district administration approaches this work with transparency, professionalism, and careful stewardship of public resources. Our responsibility is to ensure that ConVal continues to provide a high-quality, sustainable education for the students of our member towns.
“The School Board is committed to guiding the district through this difficult transition
responsibly and to ensuring that ConVal remains a strong and stable school district for the
communities and students we serve,” Hoyt stated.
Francestown is the first town to successfully withdraw from the ConVal School district. Voters defeated a similar proposal in Dublin in 2025, and Temple withdrew a petition warrant article for withdrawal in summer 2025.
The changes in the district will not go into effect until the start of the 2027 school year.
District budget, open enrollment pass
All of ConVal’s towns supported Article 1, the district’s proposal for an Open Enrollment program, which the district created to comply with new laws requiring school districts to pay 80% of a student’s tuition if the student transfers to another district.
Superintendents across the state have criticized the new law and the legislature’s push for Open Enrollment on the grounds that it will bring significant financial instability to public school districts.
ConVal proposed the creation of an Open Enrollment option for the German language program at the high school, citing the program’s benefits to students in surrounding districts without German language programs.
Overall, 70% of the district approved the article, with the highest percentage in Peterborough, which voted 82% in favor.
Open Enrollment received the least support in Bennington, where just 58% of voters were in favor.
In all, 59% of ConVal district voters approved the proposed 2026 budget of $63,100,184, with 1,840 voters in the district’s nine towns in favor, and 1,299 against. The default budget, had the budget failed, was $62,324,303, the same as the 2025 budget.