Residents of the Monadnock Region are set to participate in local elections and school budget decisions on Tuesday, March 10. This voting session is part of New Hampshire’s annual town meeting tradition and will take place in numerous locations across the area.

The electoral process will involve key votes on budgets and local governance, which will significantly influence the next academic year. Many schools, including prominent districts like Keene, Monadnock, ConVal, and Jaffrey-Rindge, will feature their budget proposals and educational policy matters on the ballot.

In the Keene School District, an operating budget of $82.4 million for the 2026-2027 academic year is up for approval. This budget signifies a 3.4 percent increase compared to the current budget and would impact property tax rates dedicated to education should it pass. Voters will also consider an open enrollment policy that would permit a maximum of 50 nonresident elementary school students to attend local district schools while maintaining restrictions on resident students enrolling elsewhere.

The Monadnock Regional School District voters from towns such as Swanzey and Troy will also address a proposed budget of $40.8 million, which remains about $300,000 below the default budget. This budget plan reflects escalating costs faced by the district and includes provisions for a contract for support staff along with various capital planning articles.

In addition to budgetary matters, school board elections are set to occur, particularly in the Keene School District where four candidates—Jason Washer, Jennifer Friedman, Heather Gilligan, and Casey Schmidl-Gagne—compete for three school board positions. Other local offices in Keene are uncontested this election cycle.

The issue of open enrollment has become particularly contentious in New Hampshire after a recent Supreme Court ruling clarified funding responsibilities for students who choose to attend schools outside their home districts. This ruling led many districts to address open enrollment limits on their ballots, balancing the entry of nonresident students against the desire for local control over school populations.

Furthermore, changes to regional school district structures are also up for consideration. In the Fall Mountain Regional School District, voters will decide if Walpole and Langdon should disconnect from the cooperative district. This proposal, if approved, would initiate a process for establishing new school districts by the year 2027. In a separate matter, residents of Francestown will revisit a previous motion to withdraw from the ConVal School District, a proposal that saw considerable local support but ultimately did not pass district-wide in the previous year.

Swanzey residents will face additional questions regarding the town’s proposed operating budget, which has risen to approximately $8.94 million, a 6.8 percent increase from the last year. They will also consider plans for constructing a new public works facility and address other issues regarding capital reserve funding and town governance.

Poll hours will vary with specific times set for different communities. In Keene, voting will occur at the Recreation Center from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Other municipalities will generally operate polling places between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. with closing hours ranging from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

As this election encompasses numerous vital community issues, it stands as a significant civic event for residents throughout the Monadnock Region.