Eastham School Committee Rejects School Choice for Eastham Elementary, 4-0

EASTHAM -- April 14, 2026, Eastham School Committee votes 4-0 to stay out of state school choice program. The committee closed a public hearing and rejected a motion to open Eastham Elementary School to non-resident students, citing steady enrollment, new housing under construction, and the pending regionalization and efficiency study whose public findings will be presented June 8 at Eastham Town Hall. Vice Chair Devon O'Rourke said the program creates "significant financial commitments that you can't control." Member Debra Raymond reported she testified before the State House Ways and Means Committee two weeks earlier, pushing for circuit breaker reimbursement to rise to 95 percent and arguing that MassCare, if enacted, would have saved Eastham an estimated $2.2 million this year in health insurance premiums. Business Manager Paul projected a year-end deficit of $150,000 to $175,000, driven largely by a mid-year special education placement in Brewster costing roughly $30,000 beyond what was budgeted, with Finance Director Rich Benu prepared to address the gap in June.