Eastham School Committee Approves FY27 Budget Plan Amid Override Warning

School Committee · Meeting of February 10, 2026

Eastham faces a likely tax override as the School Committee reviews an 8.25 percent FY27 budget increase. At the February 10 meeting, Superintendent Glenn Brand presented a proposed Eastham Elementary budget of $5,210,104 — up $396,242 from FY26 — driven largely by special education out-of-district placements. Assistant Town Manager and Finance Director Rich Bienvenue told the committee that Eastham has no excess levy capacity, that collective bargaining obligations on the Outer Cape are rising well above the Proposition 2 1/2 limit, and that an enrollment-ratio shift within the Nauset Regional School District has added roughly $1 million to the town's regional assessment independent of any budget growth.

"We're looking at a pretty substantial override on the town side," Bienvenue said, adding that school costs are expected to be folded into a single override question. The current FY26 budget is already in deficit, with two unanticipated out-of-district special education placements — one costing just under $200,000 in tuition plus $30,000 in transportation — identified as the cause; Bienvenue said free cash is available to cover the shortfall.

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Source: the School Committee meeting of February 10, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.