Estimate Your Override Tax Impact

On May 5, Brookline voters will be asked to approve a $23.25 million Prop 2½ override, phased over three years, to fund Town and School services. See what it would mean for your tax bill.
From Assessor's Database as of March 24, 2026
or
A successful override vote would increase your tax bill by…
Year-by-year breakdown (FY27 – FY29)

What does your YES vote protect?

The override preserves Town and School services that would otherwise face deep cuts. Schools have already cut 22 FTE from their proposed budget.
Town Services
Voting YES preserves:
  • ✓
    Fire response at all stations
    $1.7M: avoids closing a station or laying off 20 firefighters
  • ✓
    Core Town operations
    $1.25M: closes gap between revenues and operating costs
  • ✓
    Sustainability Division
    $625K: grant expires FY27; has brought in $3M+ to date
  • ✓
    6 police officer positions
    $600K: currently vacant; restoring reduces forced overtime
  • ✓
    Collective bargaining reserve
    $350K: police and fire contracts expire end of FY27
  • ✓
    911 dispatch & command staff
    $300K: dispatch software end-of-life; staff pay gap
  • ✓
    Senior medical transit
    $175K: ARPA-funded program expires Dec 2026
  • ✓
    Town building maintenance
    $150K: in-house repair capacity for aging buildings
  • ✓
    Library staffing
    Without override: part-time staff reduced
Without the override, the Town would cut 17.4 positions, potentially close a fire station or take an engine offline, eliminate the Sustainability Division, reduce library staffing, and scale back the senior medical transit program.
Schools
Voting YES preserves:
  • ✓
    210+ teachers & staff
    A NO vote means 14.5% of all school staff cut by FY29
  • ✓
    Current K-8 class sizes
    Without override: average rises to 30.3, with classes up to 49
  • ✓
    Grades 6-8 world language
    15 FTE: entire middle school language program eliminated in Year 1
  • ✓
    Grades 4-8 conservatory
    7 FTE: band, orchestra, and music instruction eliminated in Year 1
  • ✓
    Grade 1 classroom aides
    13 FTE: half of all first-grade aides cut in Year 1
  • ✓
    BHS accreditation & full schedules
    29% fewer course sections may prevent meeting state requirements
  • ✓
    K-8 after-school programs
    Sports, clubs, drama, homework clubs eliminated or fee-based
  • ✓
    Literacy & special ed supports
    Guidance, ETS, BEEP, and tutorial supports all reduced
  • ✓
    South Brookline bus service
    Eliminated without override

Schools have already cut 22.1 FTE from their proposed FY27 budget. Without the override, PSB faces closing 36% of K-8 classrooms and cutting an additional 58 staff in Year 1, rising to 210 total by FY29.

What happens if the override fails?
Town

$2.55M in cuts including 17.4 FTE. Six police positions permanently eliminated. Fire Dept forced to close a company or station and lay off up to 20 firefighters by FY28. Sustainability Division eliminated when grant expires. Senior medical transit program loses ARPA funding and must be scaled back. Library part-time staffing reduced. Software licenses for public safety at risk.

Schools

80.3 FTE cut in FY27 alone, rising to 210.3 FTE by FY29. K-8 average class size rises to 30.3 students (range 19-49). BHS average class sizes of 26-34, with some classes reaching 37. All K-8 after-school programs eliminated or fee-based. South Brookline bus service eliminated. BHS may not meet state requirements for full student schedules.

Override increases are in addition to regular ~2.5% Prop 2½ growth plus voter-approved debt exclusions. Actual amount depends on classification and valuation changes.
Tax model: Select Board approved override model (3/25/26). Assessed values from the Brookline Assessor’s database. Median values from FY2026 Classification Hearing (p. 11). Town services data: E&R final report, Town Administrator workbook. School impacts: PSB Failed Override presentation (3/4/26).