Lakeville Boards Hear 56-Position Cut Warning Ahead of Override Vote

Select Board · Meeting of April 28, 2026

Lakeville boards heard warnings of 56 school staff cuts and reduced fire and police capacity if a pending tax override fails. At a joint Select Board and Finance Committee session Tuesday at the Lakeville Public Library, Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District Superintendent Barbara Starkey and Finance Director John Higgins presented a general fund budget of $49,542,654, a $3,454,915 increase, with Lakeville's assessment rising $1,825,353 or 10.27 percent after the school committee applied $930,184 in excess-and-deficiency funds to offset one-time costs. Starkey warned that without level-service funding the district would cut 56 positions in FY27, bringing a two-year staff reduction total to 67.

Fire Chief Michael O'Brien said the no-override scenario would slash his training budget by 33 percent and protective gear spending by 80 percent, while Police Chief Matthew Perkins said mandatory active-shooter training at the schools would be off the table. The board unanimously voted to move the June 20 Old Colony building project ballot from Loon Pond Lodge to Assawompsett Elementary School, and opened, amended, and closed the June 8 annual town meeting warrant to add an article authorizing electronic voting devices, funded through a grant already awarded to the town.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of April 28, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.