PEMBROKE - May 5, 2026 - The Pembroke School Committee unanimously approved a $41,280,729 district budget for Fiscal Year 2027 while receiving key confirmation that the town’s bid to join the South Shore regional vocational school district has secured the required approval from neighboring communities.
The Full Story
During a brief but action-packed meeting, the Pembroke School Committee tackled significant financial and structural decisions for the district’s future. The meeting kicked off with an annual public hearing on “School Choice,” a state program that allows students from other municipalities to enroll in Pembroke schools for a flat $5,000 tuition rate per student [04:36].
Superintendent Erin Obey recommended against opting into the program for the upcoming school year. She noted that while adding high school students could theoretically offset enrollment declines, the $5,000 tuition often falls significantly short of the actual cost to educate a student [06:06]. Obey also emphasized the long-term obligations of the program.
“When you commit to school choice and to a school choice student you’re committing to them through graduation. So if you open up school choice for kindergarteners and decide two years later to cease with school choice, you’re still guaranteeing that student that originally enrolled an education through 12th grade.” — Superintendent Erin Obey [05:38]
