Nauset Draft Budgets Show Increases For FY27

ORLEANS – An early look at the Nauset school budgets for the 2027 fiscal year shows increases over 2026.

The Nauset regional school committee in recent weeks has been presented with draft budgets for Nauset Regional High School as well as the district’s “region-only” budget. The high school’s draft budget reflects a 3.4 percent increase from the current fiscal year, while the region-only budget shows an increase of 7.2 percent.

The high school’s proposed $13,615,375 budget is up $444,702 from the current fiscal year, which ends July 1. According to materials presented to the regional school committee Jan. 22, the high school is looking at $1,446,783 in expenses, an increase of 26.6 percent from the current 2026 fiscal year. 

Among the biggest factors driving the increased spending are the cost of fuel oil and gas, which at $200,000 is double what the district budgeted for the school this fiscal year. The draft also reflects increases in contracted building services ($27,000 for FY26 vs. $91,000 for FY27), contracted instructional services ($20,000 in FY26 vs. $50,000 for FY27), contracted grounds services ($45,000 in FY26 vs. $76,125 in FY27), and educational assistant salaries ($47,385 in FY26 VS. 100,143 for FY27).

The draft budget does not reflect any changes to the number of full-time equivalent employees at the high school, which is projected to stay at 127.8 for the new fiscal year.

The regional school committee on Feb. 5 had its first look at the region-only budget, which currently sits at $16,102,781 for the coming fiscal year, up from $15,014,568 in FY26. The biggest increases in spending include an additional $471,277 in employer health care costs, as well as a $1,231,989.43 increase in the cost of non-public school tuition. Conversely, the district is looking at a $435,191 reduction in charter school tuition for fiscal year 2027.

The town of Orleans has so far built in a 3 percent increase into its FY27 budget for Orleans Elementary School ($6,561,663), as well as its anticipated assessments to the Nauset Regional School District ($8,661,955) and Cape Cod Regional Technical School ($406,884). Those figures are pending the official submission of budget materials from each entity. 

“As I understand it, the town managers spoke to the superintendents, and they are aware. They are using that (3 percent figure) within their planning consideration for their budgets as well,” Orleans Finance Director Darrin Tangeman told the select board in January.

The regional committee was due to further discuss the draft budget at its Feb. 26 meeting, but discussion was tabled until the committee’s March 4 meeting. Once the district’s budget is voted on and approved, the committee will present the budget to select boards in its four member towns of Orleans, Brewster, Eastham and Wellfleet.