Select Board presses tech school on Oct. 6 vote date

Board of Selectmen · Meeting of July 27, 2026

Shelburne Select Board presses tech school officials on Oct. 6 vote timing. Members questioned why voters will decide a $113.8 million Franklin County Technical School building project in a special election rather than at the Nov. 3 town election, with Chair Andrew warning "there would be people with pitchforks at our meeting" if the town tried similar timing for a budget vote. Finance Committee member Jason said competing spreadsheets show Shelburne's annual debt share as either $140,443 or $233,540 a year for 30 years, and asked "does that beg the question of how big a school should be." Owner's project manager Tim Alex of Colliers said a failed vote would put the district "out of the program," likely for years.

Superintendent Ryan Rigi defended the school's job-placement record, citing 65 to 68 percent of seniors going directly into the workforce. In other business, the board voted 2-1 to hire Sullivan Auctioneers for a tax-title property sale and unanimously raised employee mileage reimbursement to 76 cents a mile.

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Source: the Board of Selectmen meeting of July 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.