At a time when costs for everything from houses to eggs seem to be rising, Harvard residents may be surprised that the total school budget proposed for fiscal 2027 is slightly less than this year’s budget.

A new regional initiative launched last week promises to address health care access challenges facing Nashoba Valley communities, including Harvard and Devens, following the closure of Nashoba Valley Medical Center in August 2024.

Devens residents were voting this week to fill seats on its two elected advisory committees in one of the most contested elections in the community’s 40-year history.

Advocates for a new athletic field on Old Mill Road assured the Select Board and voters this fall that private donors were ready to contribute to the cost of its design and construction. Last week, the first donation arrived, a $20,000 gift from a longtime Harvard resident.

The odds that voters will be asked to approve another increase in their property taxes beyond the limits set by Proposition 2½ grew this week.

In the wake of two conduct violations this year that resulted in the censure of one Select Board member and the early resignation of another, the board has revised the code of conduct for the town’s elected and appointed officials.

With an estimated $1.51 million to spend and a total of $1.49 million in requests, the committee in charge of disbursing money from the town’s community preservation fund is working on a January deadline to decide which projects to recommend for funding.