Due to a projected budget shortfall in the 2025 fiscal year, Lexington Public Schools has implemented a spending freeze—a deliberate attempt to decrease spending. Julie Hackett, the superintendent of LPS, stated that the district intends to free up 1.5 to 2 million dollars by year’s end through this measure.
One factor that led to the spending freeze is the amount of funds given to the school system by the town. Lexington’s expenditure is budgeted across multiple sectors, from the fire department to the schools, and is adjusted yearly based on the needs of each department.
“There’s a certain percentage increase that is going to the schools. If that doesn’t match the needs, then there’s a shortfall there that we have to make up for,” Andrew Baker, the principal of Lexington High School, said.
David Coelho, the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations, explained that 85-87% of the budget is tied up in salaries, leaving 15% to expense budgets. According to Coelho, the need for new staff to address an uptick in school enrollment also largely contributes to the budget shortfall.
While both Baker and Coelho noted that it is hard to say when the spending freeze will end, they predict that it will likely last through the end of this school year. Every department has been asked to make 15% cuts to the expenses portion of their budget. The cuts will impact expenses that are nonessential to the student experience, such as travel, supplies, and developmental learning days for teachers.
Coelho stressed that students’ needs remain the priority while they address the spending freeze, stating that strategies are being developed to minimize its impact on student learning.
Some LHS departments will be less impacted than others, such as Special Education, which is a mandated service. Any special instruction or guidance is through a contract made with the student’s family, so the school is required to provide those services. Although the Special Education department cannot make cuts to mandatory services, they are encouraged to save where they can, as a hard stop is not feasible.
Additionally, the contractual stipends of LHS’s extracurricular activities and clubs will not be affected by the spending freeze. However, programs that receive additional school funding have been asked to reduce spending in those areas.
“Some things, like Speech and Debate, have a budget line item. Naomi Martin, the Athletic Director, has been asked to look for those [15% reductions] as well,” Baker said.
In the memo sent by Hackett, she compared Lexington to “like districts”, highlighting the prioritization of high-quality education. Coelho and Baker both reiterated a similar message—the spending freeze is simply a means to slow spending, and the student experience will continue to take the main stage.
