Lakeville Board Votes to Put $1.35 Million School Budget Draw on July 27 Ballot

Select Board · Meeting of July 7, 2026

Lakeville sets July 27 special town meeting to resolve $1.35 million regional school budget standoff. The Select Board voted unanimously Monday to place a $1,353,284 stabilization-fund withdrawal on a special town meeting warrant, covering the gap between what Lakeville appropriated at its annual town meeting and the Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District's level-services budget. Town Administrator Andrew Soupforth called the stabilization draw "the best of a bad bunch," warning that using reserves for operating costs will likely damage the town's bond rating and leave fiscal year 2028 facing a projected $3.4 million structural deficit.

Finance Director Mike cautioned that depleted reserves could deter bond bidders entirely, noting the town received three competitive bids on a short-term $10 million borrowing last fall. The school committee has publicly signaled it wants the dispute resolved at a joint town meeting with Freetown, where it believes it can prevail — an outcome Soupforth said has occurred only once in over 30 years in the region. The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

July 27 at Apponequet Regional High School; a joint warrant review with the Finance Committee is set for July 21.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,295 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of July 7, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.