The ConVal School Board has created a new withdrawal feasibility study committee at the request of Francestown and Temple.

Curtis Hamilton, school board representative from Greenfield, was named chair. 

“We voted to combine the Francestown and Temple feasibility study committees in the interest of time, and we are hoping this will be a an easier process since we have all already been through this once,” Hamilton said. 

A feasibility study committee is required by state law when a town requests a study to examine the possibility of withdrawing from a larger school district to form an independent school district or join another school district. The committee consists of a School Board representative from every town and a Select Board member from every town. Tom Burgess will represent Peterborough, and Sarah Edwards will represent Antrim. 

Francestown is requesting the study for a second time after the town’s request to withdraw from ConVal failed at the ballot in March. Although it received 81% approval in town, it failed because only 38% of district voters overall approved, less than the 40% required with 60% town approval.

The article for withdrawal was identical to an article that passed at Francestown Town Meeting in 2024 after a failed attempt by ConVal to consolidate the district’s eight elementary schools into four schools, which could have led the closure of schools in Francestown, Dublin, Bennington and Temple. Although the ConVal Feasibility Study Committee voted against recommending either Francestown’s or Dublin’s requests to withdraw, both went to the ballot in March after the state Board of Education voted in their favor, where both failed.

Francestown’s new warrant article requesting withdrawal was approved by voters at special Town Meeting on May 3, along with a second warrant article recommending the town study the possibility of withdrawing from the SAU.

In New Hampshire, an SAU, or school administrative unit, is responsible for administration for any districts within the SAU, including policy-setting, budgeting, curriculum, compliance with state and federal regulations and business administration, including accounting, payroll and benefits. Every school district in New Hampshire is required to be part of an SAU. 

The ConVal School district has taken the position that adding additional districts to the SAU 1  will increase costs for all nine towns in the ConVal district. Francestown has stated its intention to remove the burden of additional administrative cost by also withdrawing from the SAU, which is a separate process. 

Temple is requesting a feasibility study for the first time in an effort led by the Temple School Committee. As of May 2025, Temple Elementary school had a total of  32 students, and Francestown Elementary school had 45 students. Both schools have a maximum capacity of 250 students. 

The next meeting of the Feasibility Study Committee is Thursday, May 22, in the SAU conference room behind South Meadow Middle School. 

New elementary math program adopted 

After a presentation by Greenfield Elementary School Principal Shawn Hilliard and math teacher Eric Saucier, the board voted to adapt Illustrative Mathematics as the district’s new math program for kindergarten through fifth grade.

Saucier, who piloted in the program in his classroom in 2024, said Illustrative is “the absolute  best curriculum I have ever used.”

“I had an email from a parent telling me they had a conversation at the dinner table about math and how much their student loves math. Everyone loved math this year,” Saucier said. “I have  never in my entire career have a parent email me and tell me they talked about math at the dinner table.” 

Saucier praised the program’s “lower-tech” approach.

“It is more hands-on. The kids are walking around doing 'museum walks.’ They are making posters  and creating art about the concepts. When I asked my students if they wanted to go back to the old curriculum or keep using Illustrative, they all said Illustrative.”

Hilliard said the committee had chosen the program after extensive data analysis about the impact.

“We have seen a very strong impact and progress on assessments with this program,” she said.

After the board approved the program, Hilliard and Saucier recommended the district schedule in-service days  with Illustrative before the end of the year to begin training teachers for the pilot program next year. 

Superintendent Ann Forrest said that because the program is open source, it will not impact ConVal’s budget.

“That is a nice benefit,” she said. 

Cass hired as business manager 

Forrest’s office confirmed that ConVal Business Manager Robert DiGregorio has resigned and will leave the district this month. DiGregorio started at ConVal in August 2024, after the resignation of Brian Cisneros.

The district has hired Hancock resident Neal Cass, who was formerly the town administrator for Hopkinton.