Eastham School Committee Advances 9.98 Percent Budget Increase to Public Hearing

EASTHAM -- March 10, 2026, Eastham School Committee unanimously advances a $5.2 million fiscal year 2027 budget to a March 17 public hearing. The proposed spending plan represents a $480,241 increase over fiscal year 2026, a 9.98 percent rise that Superintendent Glenn Brand and business manager Paul Dion attributed primarily to out-of-district special education placements, rising state-set private tuition rates, and a roughly $500,000 reclassification of Barnstable County Retirement and Medicare expenses from the regional to the central office budget. Member Lindsey Palmer noted the underlying increase, stripped of the reclassification, would be approximately 8.99 percent. Dion also disclosed a current-year deficit of $115,000 driven by a mid-year student placement, and said the administration may seek a supplemental appropriation at town meeting. The public hearing and final budget vote are set for a Zoom-only meeting March 17 at 5 p.m.