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Ashby Select Board asks North Middlesex committee to reopen Ashby Elementary as public raises transparency concerns
Summary
An emailed public comment and a letter from the Ashby Select Board urged the North Middlesex Regional School District to lift a pause on Ashby Elementary and plan reopening in August 2026; commenters said transparency about closure savings has been insufficient.
Robin read an emailed statement from Mary McMurray of Ashby that criticized the district's handling of the Ashby Elementary pause and its communication with taxpayers. "We taxpayers have been told over and over what a dire situation the district is in," the statement said, and asked that the superintendent not receive another salary increase while cuts and fee increases were being felt by families.
The chair entered into the public record a separate letter from the Ashby Select Board, signed by Paula Rosa, which requested the committee lift the pause on operations at Ashby Elementary and plan for the school to reopen for the 2026–27 school year. The Select Board's letter emphasized a regional agreement provision that “each town shall maintain a school within its borders.”
Committee members cautioned that the “new regional agreement” referenced in the letter has not been ratified by all three member towns and is not yet adopted into district policy. The chair stated the committee remains bound by the older regional agreement and that the Select Board’s letter will be entered into the record for follow-up.
No formal action to reopen the school was taken at the meeting. The matter was acknowledged for further review, and the chair indicated the committee will consider the Select Board’s request and additional financial information before taking any vote.
