D-Y Regional School Committee Members (from left to right) Michelle Conover, Andrea St. Germain and Chair Brian Carey.
YARMOUTH – The Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School Committee approved their Fiscal Year 2018 budget at a meeting at Station Avenue Elementary School on Wednesday night.
The $58.3 million budget is a 3.18% increase over the FY17 budget and was approved with a 5-2 vote.
Yarmouth’s portion of the budget is almost $32 million which is 5.8% more than last year compared to Dennis’ $16 million share, which is only up 2.3%.
The larger increase for Yarmouth is due to a trend of less school-aged children coming from Dennis.
With the budget as is, Yarmouth would need a $500,000 override.
“It’s a half million dollars over what they expect, it doesn’t necessarily have to be in an override, they could choose to fully fund it and not put it in an override position,” said Committee Chair Brian Carey.
Committee members Michelle Conover and Brian Sullivan voted against the budget, citing that there was not enough money spent on curriculum and subjects.
Carey said that there are no new positions being added and no cuts to programs or services to the budget.
“We want to hold on to the things we had this year and year’s past and continue to provide those same services to the students from both Dennis and Yarmouth,” said Carey.
The budgets will now be sent to selectmen in both towns before they go before voters at Town Meeting in Dennis on May 2 and Town Meeting in Yarmouth on May 6.
By JUSTIN SAUNDERS, CapeCod.com Newscenter
