Dublin’s select board reflected upon educational issues Monday, a week after voting resulted in its remaining in the ConVal School District and with the budget cap on per-pupil spending defeated at the polls. 

Voters across the district rejected proposals that Dublin and Francestown leave the district, with a large no vote coming from the biggest town in ConVal.

“Peterborough is very sensitive to any impact on their taxes,” said Select Board member Carole Monroe.

The departure of the towns would have increased the burden of taxes for schools on the remaining towns. In neighboring Temple, School Board representative James Kingston estimated that his town’s tax bills would have gone up by 6% if the withdrawals had passed. 

Monroe said that an underlying issue for the town are the Articles of Agreement which bind the nine towns of the district and dictate the funding formula for schools. This formula was revised in 1997 and has resulted in Dublin paying thousands of dollars more in per-pupil costs than other towns in the district. 

“When you look at any change in the Articles of Agreement formula, it’s going to cost some towns more money,” said Monroe.

Susan Peters is the board’s new chair, and new Select Board member Blake Minckler offered to serve as Dublin’s representative to the feasibility study committee that will look at the prospect of Temple withdrawing from the district. At Saturday’s town meeting, Temple voted in favor of the study amid concerns that its elementary school will be closed by the ConVal district. 

In other news, on Monday the town sent certified mail letters to property owners on the lien list for unpaid taxes. Town Administrator Kate Fuller said that individuals are encouraged to contact town offices to try and work things out.

“People can come in and ask for a payment plan,” said Fuller.