Wainscott Common School District projects minor budget drop; board warns affordable housing may affect enrollment

David Eagan, president of the Wainscott Common School District Board of Trustees, told the Wainscott Citizens Advisory Committee that "the state of the school is good," reporting enrollment of 17 students in the local schoolhouse and 76 post‑third‑grade students who attend surrounding schools as tuition payers.

Eagan said the district’s budget for the upcoming year projects a slight decrease of $8,000 and will not raise the tax rate. The budget vote is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, from 2 to 8 p.m. at the schoolhouse; absentee ballots are available from school board clerk Norma Bushman during normal school hours.

Eagan, who said he is seeking another three‑year term after 22 years on the board, and his fellow trustees Kelly Anderson and William Babinsky said they are working with Town officials to model potential enrollment and tuition impacts if proposed affordable housing in the hamlet proceeds and to devise ways to mitigate any undue effects.

The committee did not take a formal position on the school budget at the meeting but highlighted the timing of the vote and the availability of absentee ballots for residents who cannot attend in person.