Wareham gets more state aid, but even bigger bills
Higher state charges offset Wareham's increase in aid this year. Graph by Nick Mossman
Since 2024, state costs have been continuing to eat up more of Wareham's aid. The percent share of charges is in red, while remaining aid is in green.
Higher state charges offset Wareham's increase in aid this year. Graph by Nick Mossman
Since 2024, state costs have been continuing to eat up more of Wareham's aid. The percent share of charges is in red, while remaining aid is in green.
The 2027 state budget provides Wareham with $500,000 more state aid than in 2026. The less happy news: State charges – largely due to students who attend public schools in other towns through “school choice” – will increase by nearly $900,000.
That will leave the town with an estimated $400,000 less from the state.
On Thursday, July 9, Gov. Maura Healey signed a new budget for the upcoming fiscal year into law, applauding the legislation as increasing support to towns and cities facing fiscal challenges. But in Wareham, those financial pressures could be getting worse.
As part of the budget process, the state releases "cherry sheets," estimating the money Massachusetts is sending and charging to towns. In the 2027 budget, which covers the coming school year, Wareham will receive an estimated $21.7 million in state aid. The town will also pay $8.5 million in state charges.
Those charges rose nearly twice as much as aid this year.
Much of the increase is fueled by education expenses. Wareham is expected to pay $600,000 more in school choice and charter school “sending tuition” this year.
Under the Massachusetts school choice program, students can enroll in school districts in towns they do not live in. School districts choose whether to accept outside students and can limit new students due to space restrictions. However, towns cannot prohibit their own students from applying to and attending outside schools.
When a Wareham student enrolls in a charter school or another public school outside of the district, the town pays "sending tuition" to that school or district. Tuition is charged to the town per student. That amount varies based on the expenses of the school district or charter school where the student attends. Wareham essentially gets a tuition bill for each student going outside the district, rather than spending that money at Wareham Public Schools.
And bills are high this year. Wareham is expected to spend nearly $3.7 million to send its students to charter schools and another $2 million to other public school districts this year.
While the town does get some money back for its charter school expenses and for school choice students coming in, those only account for a fraction of its costs. This year, Wareham will get just over $1 million from the state in reimbursements and "sending tuition" money from other school districts.
A contributor to these costs could be the high proportion of Wareham students going out of the district to attend school. According to data obtained by Wareham Week, almost one-third of school-aged Wareham residents did not attend Wareham Public Schools during the 2025-2026 school year.
The shrinking support from the state comes as Wareham faces continued pressure to pay for its schools. In April, Wareham schools projected staff cuts amid a $1.2 million school budget shortfall for 2027.
School Committee Chair Geoff Swett said he expects another budget shortfall with continued staff cuts "for the foreseeable future." However, he added that the quality of education at Wareham Public Schools remains unchanged.
Swett said that the state aid formula disproportionately impacts towns like Wareham due to its special education costs, older demographics and income disparities.
The governor has since proposed additional funding for school districts, but it may not fully offset Wareham's costs.
On Wednesday, July 15, Healey's office filed legislation for a $100 million supplemental budget to "avoid layoffs and harmful program cuts" facing many school districts, including Wareham.
The governor's office estimated the additional funding would allot an approximately $112 per student in additional funding to schools, divided among all the districts in the state.
Wareham had about 1,900 students during the 2025-2026 school year. Should the legislature pass the funding bill and Wareham's student population remain similar, the town could get an extra $212,800 in funding. However, that figure does not fully cover the town's nearly $400,000 net cost increase from last year.
Healey's bill, H.5586, is awaiting consideration from the Massachusetts General Court House Ways and Means committee. The governor's office did not immediately respond to Wareham Week's request for comment.
