Cape Cod Tech presents $993,000 budget increase; leaders cite enrollment growth and contract costs

Cape Cod Regional Technical High School Superintendent Robert Sanborn presented the vocational school's FY2026 budget during the town hearing and said the plan is the largest he has presented during his tenure.

"This is the highest budget I've ever presented to a board of selectmen in my tenure," Sanborn said, and described drivers that include increased enrollment, transportation costs from a new five-year contract, contracted service and a desire to slow the use of excess-and-deficiency (E&D) funds.

Nut graf: the regional technical school reported enrollment growth (Sanborn cited a current roll of about 681 students and a wait list exceeding 150), rising transportation and service costs, and a strategy to reduce one-time reliance on reserve balances. The proposed operating budget increase was presented as about $993,000 (a 5.68% increase overall). Officials said they trimmed capital requests modestly and will rely on reserves and other revenue sources to smooth transitions.

Other points raised in the hearing included the district's work to expand renewable energy options for bus charging (selecting electric buses for a contractor fleet but keeping diesel backup availability) and the school's longer-term satellite campus plans for program expansion (a leased 33-acre site in Harwich under active fundraising).

Ending: Sanborn and committee members said they will continue outreach and that the school committee had reviewed and approved the budget and held a public hearing before presenting to town officials. The district emphasized that vocational programs carry higher per-pupil costs because of equipment and program needs, and that the budget seeks to balance operational and capital requirements while supporting instructional programs.