Enrollment drop costs BHS ten positions

What happened

District enrollment fell to 4,511 students as of October 2025, down 170 students over the previous five years, and 42 more Barnstable residents left for other public schools and charters in the 2025-26 year than the year before, mostly to Sturgis Charter, Cape Cod Tech, and virtual schools. The FY27 budget the committee adopted April 1, 2026 responded by cutting ten teaching and support positions at Barnstable High School, worth about $975,500, mostly by not refilling the jobs of retiring teachers.

Why it matters to families

Fewer students choosing Barnstable means less state funding and, now, fewer teachers at the high school. Most of the ten positions are being absorbed through retirements rather than layoffs, but the district says it will keep resizing staff to match a shrinking student body.

The evidence

The Superintendent's February 4, 2026 enrollment report gives the 4,511 count, the 170-student five-year drop, and the 42-student increase in students leaving for other public options; the FY27 Budget Book presented at the March 18, 2026 public hearing lists the ten eliminated Barnstable High School positions and their dollar values under "Reductions due to declining enrollment."

The source