Upton Town Meeting Backs School Override and $17 Million DPW Borrowing

UPTON — May 7, 2026 — Upton's Annual Town Meeting voted to support a $2,457,651 Proposition 2.5 school operating override and authorized $17 million in borrowing for a Department of Public Works facility overhaul, sending both to a ballot vote on May 12. More than 450 registered voters — the largest turnout in recent years — filled the gymnasium of a Upton school on May 7, with overflow voters ultimately standing along the main hall walls after audio failures in a second room. Superintendent Maureen Cohen told the meeting that failure of the override would force $4.1 million in cuts to the Mendon-Upton Regional School District, eliminating 84 positions — a 23 percent workforce reduction — after the district issued preliminary layoff notices to more than 96 employees the previous Friday. Finance Committee member Jay Byron identified a $1.7 million health insurance premium increase and mounting special education costs as the primary drivers, noting the district has not requested an override since 2015. The Finance Committee estimated the combined impact of all three pending tax measures — including last year's already-approved school facilities debt exclusion — at $1,493.80 annually on a home assessed at $750,000. The DPW borrowing, scaled back from an initial $33 million design to $17 million by eliminating 10,000 square feet of planned space, passed by a two-thirds majority voice vote after DPW Director Dennis Westgate confirmed the appropriation is a hard cap and the project could not proceed if bids exceed it.