WINCHESTER, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Winchester residents voted Saturday to approve a new tuition agreement that would send local high school students to Hinsdale High School beginning in 2026, marking a significant shift in the town’s long-term education planning.

The vote, which passed 108-27, moves the agreement one step closer to finalization. It now awaits approval from the New Hampshire State Board of Education, which is scheduled to review the proposal at its June 12 meeting.

This agreement follows a months-long process triggered earlier this year when the Keene School District chose not to renew its long-standing tuition arrangement with Winchester. Since the closure of Winchester’s own Thayer High School in 2005, students have attended Keene High under that agreement. With Keene stepping away, the Winchester School Board began exploring new options, ultimately identifying Hinsdale High School as the best fit based on cost, proximity, and academic compatibility.

According to school officials, Hinsdale was receptive to forming a new partnership and agreed to accept up to all of Winchester’s high school students beginning with the class of 2030, which is currently in seventh grade.

The agreement spans an initial term of seven years, running from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2033, with the potential for a 10-year extension thereafter. Under its terms, Hinsdale High will provide Winchester students with equal access to educational programs, services, and extracurricular activities. Winchester will pay a per-pupil tuition rate—estimated at $17,520 for the first year—with annual adjustments tied to Hinsdale’s budget changes.

Special education services will be billed based on actual services provided, rather than a flat fee, a change school officials say will save Winchester approximately $500,000 over four years compared to its previous agreement with Keene.

While most Winchester students are expected to attend Hinsdale, the agreement allows some flexibility for school choice. Parents may seek other public school options, and the district retains the right to place students in alternative programs if needed.

School administrators have begun preparing for the transition, including working with families to coordinate school choice decisions and integrating Winchester and Hinsdale middle school students ahead of the move.