Yarmouth’s Share of D-Y School Budget Could Increase

CCB MEDIA PHOTO Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School

YARMOUTH – Yarmouth could have to pay a higher percentage of the Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School budget next year.

In recent years, 65 percent of the district’s students have been from Yarmouth.

Regional School Committee Chairman Brian Carey says that number has been increasing over the last few years and a student assessment now has that figure at 66.9 percent.

Yarmouth officials said the town will not exceed a 2½ percent increase from the current school budget.

“We are responsible for educating the students from their town,” said Carey. “And it is my hope that both towns will pay for the students that live in their town.”

Carey said the school committee this week cut $900,000 from the needs budget that was proposed earlier by school administrators.

At least $1.2 million in cuts are still required from a tentative $57.8 million budget approved this week.

Even more cuts could be needed as the school committee has not calculated each town’s assessment yet or received figures from the state.

Carey said those cuts will need to be made before the final budget is sent to both towns to be approved at town meeting.

A public hearing on the budget will be February 22.

“Voters and interested parties will have an opportunity to address the committee and speak on behalf or against the budget and our process,” Carey said. “And it’s just another step as we move forward towards town meeting.”

The first town meeting of the towns is in Dennis on May 3 and Carey said the final budget needs to be ready 45 days prior.

By BRIAN MERCHANT, CapeCod.com NewsCenter