Hanover leaders call for yes vote on override and FY26 budget

Chairs of Hanover’s Select Board, School Committee and Advisory Committee are urging residents to support the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget and tax override, saying in a letter published by the South Shore Times that the plan would restore lost services and put the town on stronger financial ground.

“As community leaders, we are writing to express our collective support for the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Advisory Committee budget and the operational tax override proposed by the Select Board,” wrote Select Board Chair Vanessa O’Connor, School Committee Chair Pete Miraglia, and Advisory Committee Chair Emmanuel Dockter in a joint letter to residents. “Strong town services and excellent schools are the foundation of a thriving community.”

The letter follows a year of strained municipal operations after a failed 2024 override vote, with officials citing impacts on public safety, education and other core services. The chairs said the revised proposal represents a compromise that balances affordability with the need to preserve essential operations.

“We hope that a successful override achieving these objectives will allow Hanover to sustain both existing and restored services for the coming years without requiring major cuts or additional overrides,” the letter states.

Student-teacher ratios among worst in Massashusetts

The override vote also comes amid growing concern about school staffing levels. During a Feb. 26 School Committee meeting, members cited state data showing that Hanover’s student-teacher ratio ranks in the bottom 15% of school districts in Massachusetts.

“I was looking at that and reviewing our staffing ratios. And again, our staffing ratios dropped,” said School Committee Member Jackie Jorgensen. “We’re now in the bottom 15% of the state for staffing ratios.”

Jorgensen noted the data does not yet reflect recent fiscal year 2025 reductions, warning that future reports may show an even more significant decline.

“It’s embarrassing that we can’t afford to hire teachers and deliver that instruction when teachers are the method that schools deliver instruction by,” she said.

Next steps

The override proposal must first be approved at Annual Town Meeting on May 5. If it passes, the question will appear on the ballot during the Annual Town Election on May 17.