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.