Finance Committee Meeting Summary – March 30, 2026
Finance Committee Meeting Summary – March 30, 2026
The Bourne Finance Committee met on March 30, 2026, to discuss the FY2027 budget, including adjustments to school budgets, a report on Upper Cape Tech student enrollment corrections, and various warrant articles for the upcoming Town Meeting. The meeting covered enrollment disputes, budget presentations from Upper Cape Tech and Bourne Public Schools, capital and operating budget adjustments, and votes on several articles.
Upper Cape Tech Resident Student Enrollment Correction
Town Administrator Marlene and Town Council member Anne Marie reported on efforts to correct Bourne's enrollment numbers at Upper Cape Tech. Initially, 14 students were removed, then 11 more were questioned. After verification, 6 additional students were removed, totaling 20 students removed from Bourne's enrollment for the October 1, 2025 count, which determines the FY27 assessment. The net reduction in assessment is approximately $365,000 (original 14 students: just over $250,000; additional 6: $115,962). The breakdown of the 20 students was 7 freshmen, 3 sophomores, 5 juniors, and 5 seniors. Superintendent Roger Horjet explained steps to prevent recurrence, including providing each town with a full listing of addresses for validation and adding a requirement for parents to denote the town (not village) on freshman applications. Discussion followed about whether to look back at prior years' enrollments. Town Council will research the legal authority to go back to prior fiscal years, while the committee requested addresses for October 1, 2024 (FY26) since the books are not yet closed for that year. The committee also discussed the possibility of recovering overpayments from prior years, but noted complications involving Chapter 78 reimbursement.
Public Hearing on FY2027 Operating, Enterprise, and Capital Budgets
The committee opened a public hearing for the proposed FY2027 budgets.
Upper Cape Tech Budget Presentation: Superintendent Roger Horjet presented the FY2027 operating budget of $21,379,762, a 5.65% increase over FY26. Key drivers: contractual obligations (steps and lanes), insurance increases, vocational supply costs, and increased student enrollment. Bourne's assessment is based on 215 resident students (revised from 235). Bourne's net foundation budget assessment is $4,322,089, which is $121,123 over the state-required foundation. The capital assessment is based on total town enrollment, not just Upper Cape Tech enrollment. The budget includes $180,000 for stabilization and total capital of $330,000. Committee members questioned the percentage increase (5.65%) compared to town departments (2.88%). Horjet explained that teaching services increased 9.89% due to contractual obligations and three new positions (math, special ed, English teachers), while other line items increased 3% or less.
Bourne Public Schools Budget Presentation: Superintendent Dr. Joe and Mr. Jordan Geist presented the FY2027 operating budget of $28,265,695, a 1.97% increase over FY26. The budget adds 7 teaching positions due to enrollment growth in lower grades and special education needs. Offsets (circuit breaker, school choice, military mitigation, grants) total over $5.2 million. The total cost of schools including shared costs (liability insurance, employee benefits, maintenance, public utilities) is approximately $41 million, with an additional $1,877,000 for retired teachers' health insurance and $2,458,000 in debt service. Discussion covered enrollment trends: a NESDEC study projects an increase of 137-176 students over 3-5 years. Special education costs have risen 42% since 2021 in Bourne. Per-pupil costs and comparisons with other districts were shown. The committee discussed class sizes, school choice (students pay $5,000 per pupil but the actual cost is higher), and the move of 8th grade to the high school.
Capital Budget Adjustments
No adjustments for the May warrant; the transfer station project is deferred to the fall.
Operating Budget Adjustments
Proposed adjustments: Bourne Public Schools reduced by $478,532 (absorbing a deficit), Upper Cape Tech reduced by $115,962 (due to enrollment correction). Total education budget reduction: $594,494. The savings from Upper Cape Tech ($115,926) will be transferred to the Special Education Reserve Fund via a raise and appropriate article, not from free cash. The committee discussed the sources and uses document, which now includes a line for general articles (transfers to reserves). A free cash analysis shows that due to a snow and ice deficit of over $800,000, the town plans to use $470,000 from free cash, bringing free cash down to 5.0% (minimum recommended). Two articles—non-capital equipment purchases ($5,000) and a firefighter pilot program ($1,600)—will be withdrawn from the warrant to free up cash for the snow and ice deficit. Capital stabilization will receive $850,000 (half the purchase price of the fire station land).
Warrant Article Votes
The committee voted on several articles for the upcoming Town Meeting:
- Article 1 (Consent Agenda): Approved unanimously.
- Article 6 (Rescind borrowing authority for school wastewater treatment plan, $2.1 million): Approved unanimously.
- Committee Reports: Approved.
- Human Services Grant Program ($140,000 from free cash): Approved.
- Non-capital projects: Withdrawn from warrant.
- Article 26 (Local acceptance of abandoned property statute): Approved.
- Increased demand fees for property taxes (from $15 to $30): Approved.
- Dog licensing fee increase: Approved.
- Vital records fee increase: Approved.
- Minutes of March 9, 2026: Approved.
- Motion to adjourn.
Key Outcomes
- Upper Cape Tech enrollment correction accepted: 215 resident students for FY27, with a reduction in assessment of $115,962.
- Town Council to research legal authority for prior-year adjustments and will obtain October 1, 2024 enrollment addresses from Upper Cape Tech for FY26.
- Budget adjustments approved: Committee voted recommendations to Town Meeting for the FY27 operating budgets with the proposed reductions.
- Two warrant articles deferred (non-capital equipment and firefighter pilot program) to free up cash for snow/ice deficit.
- Special Education Reserve Fund to receive $115,926 from Upper Cape Tech savings.
- Next meeting scheduled for April 6, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
All right, at seven o'clock, we'll call a meeting of the finance committee to order. If anyone for the public wishes to access the meeting, they can do so by calling the following conference line 1929-205-6099. This is meeting ID 8710 4019, password couldn't come, I'll count F I and C O M. The Zoom chat will not be monitored. Participants wish to speak must raise the hand icon until the chair asked them to unmute. I'm gonna open the meeting and select board. All in favor? Aye, so move. Thank you. Okay, thank you. So the first item for us was report from the town administrator and town council regarding Upper Cape Tech resident student enrollment. Thank you. So I I am joined by by Brian Bertram, town council. Um and as the committee and as the board and the select board and the finance committee know um we have been attending um we've attended two meetings with Upper Cape Tech and DESSE and the town administrator of Wareham. And I did provide um a memo in the electronic packet that you received, and the bottom line change has been that a total of 20 students were removed from Bourne's um student enrollment numbers. Those the lists that we were working off of were the October 1st, 2025 enrollment lists, and that is the number that generates the FY27 um budget assessment. So while we're building and while we're looking at the FY27 proposed budget, the student enrollment numbers that that is based on are the October 1st numbers from 2025. So as I had previously reported, there were 14 students that were um originally moved out of Bourne's enrollment numbers, and then I had spoken to both groups about another 11 that we were questioning. And um we had a chance to take another look at that. One of those students, um, the one who is currently um or the one that we had identified as residing in Carver has been explained to be uh McKinney Vento eligible student. Um and then there were four students that we had originally identified as not residing in the town of Bourne that we were not correct on. So three of those students are um residents of a condominium complex in town, and they the driveways have street signs, however, as internal driveways, they are not roads or ways laid out under subdivision control. So they don't show up as streets in our records, but we did we were able to locate three um those three residents as condominiums here for and then there was one the final the final question that address that we were questioned. The street name is common. Um both towns have the sh have that street. Um I think um born Bourne has Cleveland Circle, which is where the where the um resident is located, and and I I believe where Wareham has a Cleveland court maybe, but the the so the address was common on a street name that was in common to both. So but we did were able to identify that that the property in question is a town of born residents. So out of those out of those 11 questioned, um four of them remained with Bourne, and then six of them were moved off of board's enrollment for a total of 20 moved off of Bourne's enrollment. So um I'm happy I provided you all of my notes and documentation. I'm happy to answer the questions. And that is that is where the number stands now based, and that is what the assessment that you've received for tonight is based on. And the total number of resident students, 9 through 12, is 21. Thank you. So what's the total value that we've we were able to recoup from this transit transaction? So that was the six additional students that were moved off was a reduction of 115,962. And for the original um 14. 14. It was just over 250,000. 365,000 66,000 roughly. Now this is just for the students of this year, correct? That's correct. So all of all I'm talking about right now are the October 1st, 2025 residents, students. Okay. That's all that's all I'm talking about. Right. Um can anybody respond to what action will be taken to avoid this in the future? Chair? Happy to Roger Horjet, Superintendent Upper Cape Tech. I've mentioned actually at uh the last couple of select board meetings that I've attended. Uh the plan moving forward is to provide each town with a full listing of all of the addresses for them to validate and confirm through the assessor's office that they're actually the addresses within their town, so that this does not happen again.
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