Dunstable School Committee Candidates Clash Over Budget Cuts and District Direction

DUNSTABLE -- May 2, 2024, Dunstable school committee candidates debate budget accountability and curriculum at PTO forum. Incumbent Raphael Baud, a four-year School Committee member and vice chair, and challenger Christina Andriole, a former Swallow Union PTO president, faced questions Thursday at Swallow Union Elementary in a forum hosted by the school PTO and SWALU. Both candidates acknowledged supporting an override that represented an 11 percent assessment increase to the town, which voters rejected; both also pledged to hold future budget growth closer to 2.5 percent, though Baud noted the committee's authority over specific line items is constrained by state law and the regional board's vote structure. Andriole called for zero-based budget rebuilding prioritizing student-contact positions, while Baud pointed to his legislative advocacy on Chapter 70 reimbursements and his role in selecting the incoming superintendent. Dunstable voters choose between the two candidates on May 21.