Freetown, Lakeville Boards Advance Acushnet School Tuition Deal at Joint Session

FREETOWN — November 3, 2025 — Freetown and Lakeville select boards met jointly Monday, with a potential Acushnet tuition deal and MBTA quiet-zone costs dominating discussion. Superintendent Dr. Starkey briefed both boards on the regional school district's bid to become the sole high-school provider for Acushnet's eighth-grade graduates — an arrangement that could bring 40 to 50 students annually to Apponequet Regional High School starting September 2026, with Acushnet expected to decide by December. Freetown Town Administrator Deb Petit warned that fiscal year 2027 will be difficult, citing a roughly $2.5 million combined hit from Bristol-Plymouth tuition costs and lost Chapter 70 revenue, plus a projected 14 to 18 percent hike in retiree health insurance on top of last year's increases. On the South Coast Rail front, the boards acknowledged that full quiet-zone implementation across Freetown's 11 rail crossings could cost as much as $11 million and requires coordination with Berkeley and Lakeville; Freetown will hold a public session December 17. The Freetown board separately voted to award a $59,740 fire station vinyl siding and window contract to FRG Contractor Corporation and approved hiring seasonal snowplow drivers at $25 per hour for CDL-B and $22 per hour for class D licenses.