Select Board rejects reserve-fund boost for school cuts; Capital Stabilization levy rises 2.5%
Select Board · Meeting of March 17, 2026
Sutton Select Board rejects student and resident calls to tap reserves for school program cuts. During a two-hour public forum, high school and middle school students, parents, and resident Dashiell Birnkrant urged the board to use the town's free cash and stabilization reserves to avoid elimination of music, engineering, robotics, and other programs; resident Birnkrant specifically requested $170,000 and a one-year delay to allow planning for a Proposition 2½ override. Town Manager Austin Cyganiewicz and board members stated reserves are designated for unforeseen emergencies and municipal needs beyond operating budgets.
The board voted unanimously to increase the Capital Stabilization Fund override levy by 2.5 percent for FY27, raising the levy from $740,839 to $759,360, and approved participation in the Six Remnant Opioid Settlement, a Ground Penetrating Radar survey at Sutton Center Cemetery, and letters of support for two One-Stop Grants addressing flood mitigation and dam safety.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 506 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of March 17, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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