SUNDERLAND — In a 430-188 vote, Sunderland voters gave the final approval needed for an $800,000 override that will raise fiscal year 2027 property taxes by 10.7%.
The election followed a vote of overwhelming support for the override at the April 24 Annual Town Meeting. The approved override will prevent significant cuts across town departments and the school, including the elimination of art, music and library programs, as well as a school adjustment counselor, an instructional assistant and a math interventionist, at Sunderland Elementary School; all programs paid for by the library; periods of police coverage; and summer help for the Highway Department.
The override budget also includes Sunderland’s share of the South County Senior Center’s FY27 budget request of $125,751, which includes the cost of relocating to the 12,150-square-foot office building at 112 Amherst Road.
For the proposed relocation to become a reality, however, the Senior Center must also get the green light from Deerfield and Whately voters. In Deerfield, voters must approve a $103,253 override for the proposed renovations and lease at 112 Amherst Road at the May 11 Annual Town Meeting, as well as through a corresponding ballot question at the May 19 election. Then, Whately voters must approve the Senior Center’s operating budget at their June 2 Annual Town Meeting.
In the sole contested race on Sunderland’s ballot, incumbents Joseph Elias and Amanda Wygant retained their seats on the Sunderland Elementary School Committee for another three years, earning 289 votes and 359 votes, respectively. Elias and Wygant fended off challenges from candidates Robert Powell and Heather Potyrala, who received 140 votes and 211 votes, respectively.
“Not only is the [town] budget important, but the school’s important,” Elias said on Monday following the election. “I was excited to get the number of votes I received, and my partner Amanda is going to be back, so the two incumbents are back in action.”
In his second term, Elias plans to focus on opening state legislators’ eyes to the financial challenges schools in rural communities like Sunderland face, from transportation to special education costs.
“It’s hard to educate the East on what we need from them,” Elias said. “Obviously they have a stronger voter population in terms of statewide Legislature, but we have great momentum in the Senate and the House.”
At the school, Elias hopes to continue celebrating its international population and “recognizing our staff, from the custodians straight up to our most senior teachers and administration,” along with the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO).
“We have some wonderful people there who put a lot of time and effort in, and I think sometimes they go unrecognized,” Elias said.
To voters, Elias said, “Thank you and keep the faith and keep the commitment to the schools. These are kids that we want to continue to stay in our area and be good citizens and go into our workplaces in our communities.”
Although the Greenfield Recorder was not able to reach Wygant on Monday, in an interview ahead of Saturday’s election, she said her first three years on the School Committee equipped her with “a great foundation of understanding” for a second term.
She previously said that she plans to support School Committee Chair Jessica Corwin’s call for increased state aid for rural schools, remain involved in advocacy surrounding “avenues that will help us continue to provide the educational experiences that we want for our kids” and continue listening to residents’ concerns.
“I love being part of what makes our community good for the kids. Part of why I love being in sports is I get to hear from the kids,” said Wygant, who also coaches the Frontier Recreational Softball League. “At the end of the day, that’s what we’re doing this for is to give these educational opportunities to our community in the best way that we can.”
According to Town Clerk Wendy Houle, 621 residents cast their ballots out of 1,597 registered voters, making for a nearly 39% voter turnout.
The remaining results are as follows:
- Selectboard, three-year-term — Dan Murphy, 514 votes.
- Planning Board, five-year term — Gabrielle Kurth, 515 votes.
- Assessor, three-year term — Jennifer Unkles, 529 votes.
- Board of Health, three-year term — Bruce Bennett, 526 votes.
- Frontier Regional School Committee, three-year term — Allison Dean, 516 votes.
- Moderator, one-year term — Thomas Fydenkevez Jr., 540 votes.
- Riverside Cemetery trustee, three-year term — Janet Sawyer-Bergeron, 538 votes.
- Sunderland Public Library trustees, three seats with three-year terms — Molly Gowa, 505 votes, Kristyn Korpita, 517 votes, and Valerie Voorheis, 502 votes.
