Cohasset School Committee Unanimously Approves $26 Million FY27 Budget

COHASSET — March 31, 2026 — Cohasset School Committee unanimously approved a $26,031,005 fiscal year 2027 school budget at a special meeting Tuesday night. The 5-0 vote, which came after a single public comment session, adopts a budget that represents a 4.83 percent increase over the current year but still leaves the district approximately $990,000 below full level-service funding, according to Superintendent Dr. Sarah Shannon. Shannon said a late-stage $19,011 allocation from the Town was incorporated into the final figure and that strategic retirements, grant use, and operational efficiencies bridged more than $1 million in shortfall. Secretary Lance C. Dial, who made the motion, warned that rejecting the budget "would create fiscal chaos" and urged an immediate pivot to long-term override planning — a sentiment echoed by member Corey Evans, who called FY27 "the final year of relying on emergency fiscal maneuvers." Resident Victoria Lattanzi, 125 Doane Street, urged the committee to examine whether the school budget reflects equitable tax dollar allocation compared with other municipal departments.