Tuesday, April 7 – Chariho School Budget Referendum

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When: Tuesday, April 7 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Town Hall on Route 2 (4540 South County Trail)
What: All-day referendum on 2026/2027 Chariho Regional School District Budget

Under the state law governing Chariho, a majority of the citizens of Charlestown, Richmond and Hopkinton must approve the Chariho School District Budget by referendum in order for the budget to be adopted.

A $62.2 million budget for all three towns is proposed.

  • Charlestown’s share of the proposed School Budget would be $14.5 million ( ~$13.1 million from local property tax, and ~$1.5 million in state aid.)
  • Charlestown’s share would increase about 5% above last year’s budget.

The school budget makes up an increasingly smaller percentage of the total Charlestown budget. In 2010, the school portion made up 57% of the total Charlestown budget, but by 2026 that percentage has fallen to 45% of the total budget. Despite inflation and other rising costs, the total amount that Charlestown spends on schools is little changed since 2010, when Charlestown’s share was nearly $14 million.

The school budget affects the future of Charlestown’s children. Chariho has become one of the highest ranking school systems in our state. If the budget fails, it will go back to the School Committee to propose cuts and then send it back to the voters for another budget referendum. The proposed budget represents the funding amount needed to continue operating the district with the current services. If the budget is cut, the likely outcomes are that class sizes will need to be increased, some courses would be terminated, and extracurricular activities would be cut or reduced.

Only 200 to 300 Charlestown voters typically cast ballots in the Chariho Budget referendum. Those Charlestown ballots are usually 70% to 75% in favor of the school budget, but higher voter turnout in Hopkinton and Richmond can still defeat the school budget, as it did in 2022.

As of October, 2025 there are 665 Charlestown students enrolled in Chariho.

Please Make Time To Vote In This Referendum To Support Education

Link to more information about the 2026/2027 Chariho budget.

Information About The Chariho School District