Selectmen tentatively approve weekly homeschooling group at town barn, set conditions

The Board of Selectmen agreed to proceed with allowing a homeschooling group to use an available block of time at the town barn once a week for the school year, with the group's organizer proposing a two- to three-hour weekly session.

Town Administrator Brenda Pearl said the organizer told her the group currently has about 12 children (with accompanying parents) and that the meetup would be "once a week, 2 to 3 hours." Selectmen agreed to waive the rental fee initially and to block a recurring weekly time on the barn calendar if staff can fit it around existing bookings.

Board members requested that staff confirm a single consistent day and time; Pearl said the organizer had offered Wednesday or Thursday mornings or Tuesday afternoons and that she would work with Ashley (town staff) to finalize and block a slot. The board also asked staff to require the organizer to return if attendance grows substantially; one member suggested the group should return to the board if attendance approached about 25 children.

Why it matters: The arrangement provides social and instructional opportunities for homeschooled children while preserving the town's scheduling and capacity limits for public facilities.

There was no formal vote recorded to adopt a written rental agreement at the meeting; selectmen instructed staff to complete scheduling and rental paperwork and to return to the board only if attendance or schedule conflicts require further action.

Ending: Selectmen asked staff to finalize a recurring weekly slot and to notify the board once the reservation is on the schedule.