[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6352001,"mediaKeyId","2225941-512874cdf0ca7e12914c567fb5d2a2a0","parentId",2225941,"title","Dennis‑Yarmouth presents FY26 budget; state aid rise cushions town assessments as transportation, special education and English‑learner needs climb","audioSeconds",4035,"startMs",745000,"endMs",4780000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2225941-512874cdf0ca7e12914c567fb5d2a2a0&start=745&end=4780","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2225941-512874cdf0ca7e12914c567fb5d2a2a0/thumbnail_745000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6352001/Massachusetts/DennisYarmouth-presents-FY26-budget-state-aid-rise-cushions-town-assessments-as-transportation-special-education-and-Englishlearner-needs-climb","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6352001-6e64e5e833d4faf9bc04e5c6c144ea42/orig.mp4?Expires=1776033205&Signature=G-LlerEc2TuF8u8gaZuDx2MzgrsfKiKXkMXTpfEruogmRECqoVxkFhPiT2F0zRNnYX6IWN82CuSN4A79CoDGj2HI-f4DScgRWCoOaH3fEp0fnmVuG3O4uPZKMd4Ml0djCi57iv158lG6QEk5ZxjC1x0kVK0lEw03y8WEcPNJD~P6XAlgfnJWIQ5PLpbjxG526GYQv-gStMA4pAX7P3m1iU6PIv7DsZW9MbqnlicinCWGA1t8~XMxFyRLL25t~M10cDGaGUVy9PCeF9w61p92NnIDs2zPBdLkH92dQct3JfrfrVo90LvV8Dps12qQjE-y0CI4ppkIiarH9ue5HXsVvQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District, MA","date","2025-02-04T13:26:52Z","article","Dr. Smith, superintendent of the Dennis‑Yarmouth Regional School District, opened a public hearing Monday to present the district’s proposed FY26 operating budget and explained the priorities that shaped the request. The district projects an operating increase of about 4.49% and said stronger state aid this year reduces pressure on local assessments, though rising special education and transportation costs remain major drivers.

The budget presentation laid out three strategic objectives driving FY26 decisions: closing achievement and access gaps, building consistent districtwide operational systems, and addressing near‑ and long‑term facilities and capital needs. “We are largely a people business,” Dr. Smith said, summarizing the budget’s spending profile and noting that roughly 72% of costs are salary and benefits.

Why it matters: the district said net state aid rose materially this cycle — figures provided to the committee showed net state aid increasing from roughly $10.6 million to about $12.2 million (an increase the presenters called about $1.6 million). That state aid growth, driven in part by the Student Opportunity Act, reduces the share that must be raised locally, but the district also warned of rapidly rising costs for special‑education tuition, out‑of‑district placements and transportation.

David (the district finance director) walked the committee through program and function codes, and presented operating budget totals used to calculate town assessments. He said operating revenues (state aid, transportation aid, local receipts and other offsets) remove roughly $17.5 million from the top of the request before the regional assessment formula is applied. Using the regional formula and the five‑year foundation‑enrollment split (about 30.668% Dennis / 69.332% Yarmouth), the presentation produced proposed assessment increases of roughly 4.56% for Dennis and 3.18% for Yarmouth.

Committee members pushed for detail on several cost lines. A public commenter, Richard Simon, who identified himself as a Yarmouth resident and chair of the town finance committee, thanked the district for earlier engagement and said he and town staff would continue to probe the ~$2 million increase in transportation costs between 2023 and 2026. Dr. Smith and David explained that transportation increases reflect both tuition and pupil transport for out‑of‑district special‑education placements, and a newly emphasized driver: McKinney‑Vento transportation for students experiencing homelessness. The presenters described McKinney‑Vento reimbursements as unpredictable and lagging about a year; David said the district receives state reimbursement but the percent returned varies annually because the state divides a fixed pool among all claims.

The presentation highlighted other enrollment trends that affect cost: current daily attendance near 3,120 students, a roughly 5‑year increase in enrollment, a stable ‘‘high needs’’ population that includes economically disadvantaged students (around the mid‑50% range), an English‑learner population approaching about 30% first‑language‑not‑English on some measures, and special‑education rates generally in the mid‑teens percent range. The district reported just under 170 students currently falling under McKinney‑Vento protections.

On staffing and program priorities, the superintendent said the district used an internal prioritization rubric to rank FY26 requests. Contractual and MOA (memorandum of agreement) obligations — for example stipends for robotics, winter guard and game officials at MIAA rates — were treated as required costs. The request also includes a cabinet‑level position to lead English‑learner services (described as a gap given growing EL counts) and a recommendation to add a third‑grade classroom teacher on class‑size grounds.

Several school committee members urged the district to secure math intervention support at the middle grades. One member asked specifically about restoring or adding a math interventionist; Dr. Smith clarified that one interventionist position was funded by transferring an existing FTE, while another requested interventionist role remained unfunded and would remain on a prioritized list. Committee members also discussed the sensitivity of assessments to modest local cuts and the need for proportional reductions if towns request changes.

David also reviewed debt service and one‑time items: the FY26 debt service figure shown to the committee is approximately $4,090,647 and the district is carrying a bond anticipation note while awaiting final MSBA closeout reimbursements. He noted a reduction in some tuition lines and an update to insurance assumptions (a health insurance increase estimate moved from 5% to 6.5% following municipal health group guidance).

The public hearing was opened for comment; Richard Simon and others thanked the district for early outreach. After the committee discussion and public comment period, Dr. Smith closed the public hearing and the committee moved into regular business.

Next steps: district staff will continue follow‑up briefings with town finance committees, the superintendent said, and the district will present the budget materials to town boards and finance committees in the coming weeks. The committee also received a timeline for the search to replace the assistant superintendent / director of finance and operations position and noted an interim appointment (see separate article).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","DYRSD School Committee Meeting 2/3/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Dr. Smith, superintendent of the Dennis‑Yarmouth Regional School District, opened a public hearing Monday to present the district’s proposed FY26 operating budget, which proposes about a 4.49% operating increase and relies on a larger state aid allocation to moderate local assessment growth.","taxTitle","Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District, School Boards, Massachusetts","taxId",71622,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6351996,"Dennis‑Yarmouth names interim finance director; school committee accepts several community donations",878,5000000,5878000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2225941-512874cdf0ca7e12914c567fb5d2a2a0&start=5000&end=5878","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2225941-512874cdf0ca7e12914c567fb5d2a2a0/thumbnail_5000000.jpg","/articles/6351996/Massachusetts/DennisYarmouth-names-interim-finance-director-school-committee-accepts-several-community-donations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6351996-e08c37a03fb54bae0870b50ef9b3848d/orig.mp4?Expires=1776033205&Signature=Qqz7cWAfAJpKciuAHrV~Ia2~4GnNC0ntUkscT73ESDrnm7RCT4lGaX4tIAg6FqKgIBmnfjY~jGKMlWN3G6UDSdLOoLYBa8KTH-8OWQtuuxo9WSVXXVY2B9Jav2a7ZFdhq9fm1MU8Aqyo--HrVyrbx~3PA7dOZ2NawUhyXhJzTd90gJVZxk2w00mrrgTB62nv~jD6u3F65m8UB4tD~8-IkMBcu4ThoaNVb7d9aSOB7YsAZTueSFFREpy5cgoDSVgcd~b4M4NVekfNVXdW~h7PBUM5Pcc8zXyZUtls2VWttcoL6OqrmKwPdQy5V7eD0c5B7dPeGOKOQfndWTDDWuQi8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Dennis‑Yarmouth Regional School Committee voted to accept several community donations and heard brief introductions to an interim finance leader at its February 3 meeting.

John Ferris, introduced by Dr. Smith as the district’s interim director of finance and operations, told the committee he retired in 2022 after more than 11 years as director of business and support services at Hingham Public Schools and earlier work in the private sector. Ferris said he holds accounting credentials and purchasing certifications (MCPPO) and that he will support the district’s immediate transition while the district conducts a search for a permanent replacement for the departing finance director.

The committee approved, by voice vote, a set of donations and related consent‑agenda items. Motions approved during the meeting included acceptance of an $8,000 donation from the Yarmouth Art Guild to establish a scholarship and a consent agenda that included a $20,000 donation from the Boys Invitational Golf Tournament (in memory of Dr. Paul Funk) to benefit DYRHS athletics and smaller donations to support the high‑school basketball program. The committee approved minutes and subcommittee minutes included in the consent agenda.

Committee chair and members thanked outgoing finance director David for his service and welcomed Ferris as the interim steward for the transition period. The district posted a timeline for the search to fill the assistant superintendent/director of finance and operations role (posting closes Feb. 20; semifinalists and finalists to be presented to the committee in March‑April).","The committee accepted donations to athletics and student scholarships and welcomed John Ferris as interim director of finance and operations while the district runs a national search to fill the departing finance director role.","actionData","errors"]

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Dennis‑Yarmouth presents FY26 budget; state aid rise cushions town assessments as transportation, special education and English‑learner needs climb

Dennis‑Yarmouth names interim finance director; school committee accepts several community donations