Two residents at a Town of Templeton meeting said they believe the town lacks a valid intermunicipal school district agreement with neighboring Phillipston and urged the town to either sign an agreement immediately or begin separating services, citing local costs and an absence of clear state guidance.

The speakers said the dispute centers on which grades are covered by any existing agreement and who should pay for students from Phillipston who attend Templeton schools. Resident 1 said, "I don't think we have a valid school district. I don't think we do. It's been too many years since the last 1. There's too many questions. I I I I'm of the opinion that they either they either take the agreement today, sign it, or we start separating everything out and and that we go our separate ways." Resident 2 said, "I mean, there's maybe an agreement for the high school, middle school. I don't know that there's really an agreement For the older pays for the elementary."

Residents framed the issue principally as a budget concern. Resident 1 said Templeton has taken on a disproportionate share of the costs for the elementary school, adding, "why on earth do do we wanna pick up that extra $10 in expenses on each child? I have yet to see anybody explain to me the benefit of us doing that." The same speaker said Templeton incurred the debt for the elementary school and questioned whether Phillipston families should be served by Templeton schools if Phillipston declines to send its own children; Resident 1 said, "Phillipston voted against sending their kids to the new school elementary school. So as far as I'm concerned, as a society as a whole, we need to educate our children, everyone's children. You know? But I don't think they should be in our school system in our school because it is our school. We're paying for it."

Both speakers said the state education agency has not provided clear direction. Resident 2 summarized the situation as "unprecedented, and DESE doesn't have any guidance. They don't know what to tell us." Resident 2 added that, in their view, the uncertainty makes Templeton an undesirable partner for other towns that might otherwise consider shared services.

No formal motion, vote, or staff direction related to the school-district agreement was recorded in the provided transcript. The remarks appeared as discussion during the meeting; they raised options—sign an agreement, separate services, or continue oversight while seeking state guidance—but did not commit the town to a specific next step.

Officials or staff responses, specific agreement texts, and any written cost breakdowns were not provided in the transcript excerpts available. The speakers characterized several points as their understanding or opinion rather than as verified facts.