Lunenburg Schools Request $28.5 Million FY27 Budget, Override Called Unavoidable

Finance Committee · Meeting of February 26, 2026

Lunenburg Finance Committee hears $28.5 million school budget request and a call for a town-wide override. School Committee Chair Tony and Superintendent Dr. Tanya Fortuna presented the fiscal year 2027 school budget of $28,454,840, a roughly 10.3 percent increase over the current year, at the February 26 Finance Committee meeting, warning that even a level-service version of the budget would require a Proposition 2 and a half override.

The request includes approximately $996,123 in restored and new positions, among them interventionists across four school buildings, an additional multilingual learner teacher for a student population of 67 served by just two current staff, and a new assistant business manager. Federal Title I grant funding is projected to fall roughly 30 percent to $146,665 in FY27, and a single out-of-district placement at the May Institute is drawing $340,000 from the district's special education 240 grant. The committee also received the town's FY27 IT budget request of $535,459, a 9 percent increase driven by the full absorption of the $115,000 Munis financial software contract after ARPA funding expires.

A tri-board meeting on March 11 will determine the shape of any override question headed to voters.

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Source: the Finance Committee meeting of February 26, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.