Good morning, Hopkinton! Welcome to the daily update we call Hopkinton Today — a quick recap of yesterday’s news, highlights of what’s on tap, and a photo of the day.

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Evening lights at high school track to be evaluated in new year

PHOTO/JERRY SPAR

An evening pilot program at the Hopkinton High School track is receiving positive feedback from the community, according to Hopkinton Public Schools Superintendent Evan Bishop.

At the beginning of December, the school district announced on its Facebook page that it would be initiating a pilot program at the track to keep the lights on in the evenings Monday through Thursday. The program began Dec. 1 and will conclude Tuesday.

“This offers a safe, flat and accessible space for walking, moving or simply getting some fresh air in the early evening,” the district explained in the post.

Bishop told the Independent that the initial idea for the pilot received positive feedback from the community, and that the track has seen usage since the program began.

“It’s nice to make this happen for our community,” he added.

Bishop noted the idea came up in discussions with municipal leaders around the time the clocks were turned back for Daylight Savings Time. “We came up with this idea of maybe utilizing the track and turning on those lights,” Bishop said.

Once the pilot ends, there will be a debrief in the new year to evaluate its success and value to the community, Bishop explained. He stated that if the cost of keeping the lights on is greater than the usage, other ideas may be considered.

“I think it’s important … trying to weigh having a safe, accessible opportunity for folks young and old to get some fresh air,” Bishop said. “It’s an important balance to strike, and hopefully we’ll be able to continue doing it.”

— NICK SCHOFIELD

Latest News

Hopkinton Public School administrators on Thursday presented a budget for fiscal year 2027 to the School Committee that proposes a 5.86% increase from FY 26.

The latest Real Estate Transactions list shows five homes sold in the past week, including one for $2.5 million.

Photo of the Day

Three generations of the Dauchy family as well as members of the Hopkinton Trails Club volunteered their time Saturday to do some clearing on the Center Trail after Friday’s strong winds left some debris.