MONADNOCK REGION, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Residents across the Monadnock Region will head to the polls Tuesday, March 10, for town and school district elections that will decide budgets, local offices and several policy questions affecting communities throughout southwestern New Hampshire.

Voting will take place at dozens of locations throughout the region as part of New Hampshire’s annual town meeting cycle. In many communities, ballots will determine school district budgets and leadership positions, while separate town meeting sessions in the coming days or weeks will allow residents to debate and vote on additional warrant articles.

Several of the largest school districts in the region — including Keene, Monadnock, ConVal and Jaffrey-Rindge — have budget proposals and policy questions on the ballot following deliberative sessions earlier this winter.

School Budgets And Policy Questions On Ballot

In the Keene School District, voters will decide whether to approve an $82.4 million operating budget for the 2026–2027 school year. The proposal represents a 3.4 percent increase over the current budget and would raise the education portion of the property tax rate if approved.

Keene voters will also weigh whether to adopt an open enrollment policy that would allow a limited number of nonresident elementary school students to attend district schools. The proposal would permit up to 50 students from outside the district to enroll across four elementary schools while preventing Keene students from enrolling in other districts.

District officials have said the measure is intended to maintain local control over enrollment and avoid potential tuition costs that could arise under state open enrollment laws.

In the Monadnock Regional School District, voters in Swanzey, Troy, Richmond, Fitzwilliam, Roxbury and Gilsum will decide on a $40.8 million budget. The proposal was forwarded to the ballot without changes after debate during the district’s deliberative session earlier this year.

School board members said the proposed spending plan reflects rising costs across the district while remaining roughly $300,000 below the default budget.

The ballot will also include a contract for support staff and several additional articles related to capital planning and district operations.

Local School Board And District Officer Races

In addition to budgets, voters will elect school board members and other district officials in several districts.

In the Keene School District, four candidates — Jason Washer, Jennifer Friedman, Heather Gilligan and Casey Schmidl-Gagne — are competing for three seats on the school board.

Other district officer races in Keene, including the two-year school board seat, district clerk and district moderator, are uncontested.

Smaller SAU 29 member districts will also elect officers Tuesday. Several communities have candidates running for school board seats, moderator, clerk and treasurer positions, though some seats remain vacant.

Open Enrollment Debate Continues

Open enrollment has emerged as a major policy question across New Hampshire this year following a state Supreme Court decision that clarified that a student’s home district must still pay the cost of education if that student attends school elsewhere.

As a result, many school districts have placed open enrollment articles on their warrants to limit how many students may leave for other districts while allowing a controlled number of nonresident students to enroll locally.

Across the region, districts have proposed a range of limits — often allowing a handful of incoming students while prohibiting resident students from leaving for other districts.

Some state lawmakers are also considering legislation that could make open enrollment mandatory statewide, adding further uncertainty to school district budgeting.

Regional District Withdrawal Votes

Voters in several communities will also weigh potential changes to the structure of regional school districts.

In the Fall Mountain Regional School District, residents will vote on whether Walpole and Langdon should withdraw from the cooperative district, which also includes Acworth, Alstead and Charlestown.

If approved by voters in both the towns and the district, the change would set in motion a multi-year process to establish new school districts beginning in 2027.

Meanwhile, voters in Francestown will again consider whether to withdraw from the ConVal School District. A similar effort in 2024 received strong support locally but failed districtwide.

Withdrawal proposals require majority approval both within the town and across the district, and a districtwide vote of 60 percent against withdrawal can override local support.

Swanzey Budget And Local Warrant Articles

In Swanzey, voters will also consider several town issues that were debated at the town’s deliberative session in February.

The town’s proposed operating budget totals about $8.94 million, a roughly 6.8 percent increase over the previous year. Residents will also vote on a plan to build a new public works facility on Pine Street.

Other ballot questions address capital reserve funding, tax relief for elderly residents and disabled veterans, repairs to the Ashuelot Rail Trail and the future of the town’s SB 2 form of government.

Where And When To Vote

Poll hours vary by community throughout the region.

In Keene, all wards will vote at the Keene Recreation Center from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Elsewhere in the region, polls generally open between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. and close between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., depending on the municipality.

Many towns will hold separate traditional town meeting sessions later in the week or on Saturday, where residents can debate and vote on additional warrant articles in person.

A full list of local polling locations and meeting dates is available through town offices and municipal websites.

With budgets, school policies and local leadership positions on the ballot, Tuesday’s election marks one of the most significant civic events of the year for communities throughout the Monadnock Region.