Dear LS Students, Families, and Staff,
I am very pleased to share with you that the approval process for the L-S Operating Budget and Capital requests for FY22 by the Lincoln Town Meeting held on May 15 and Town Meeting of Sudbury held on May 22 has been successfully completed! The towns of Lincoln and Sudbury will be assessed, respectively, $3,876,655 and $27,330,369 with the remainder of funding to come directly from state or federal sources for a total budget of $34, 864,327 which represents a 2.8% increase over FY21. The following capital requests were approved: replacement student van, replacement aerial lift, and repaving of the LS tennis courts.
A $700,000 projected increase to the tuition line was a major planning challenge to the budget process. The teachers’ agreement to a 0% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) and to change health insurance managers (for a projected savings of $200,000) for FY22 were both hugely helpful to close the funding gap. A copy of the budget presentation is attached for your reference.
Funding for the replacement of the community stadium field was also approved at the Sudbury Town Meeting. The field was originally installed in 2007 and replacement cost is $675,000. The cost will be covered by a combination of the LS excess and deficiency fund and Sudbury Town funds. Construction is expected to take place this summer. The field will be out of use during construction. An update will be provided once those dates are confirmed.
I extend my appreciation for LS Director of Finance and Operations, Kirsteen Patterson, and LS Staff who helped develop the budget for next year, the members of the LS School Committee, the Lincoln and Sudbury town staff, our liaisons and members of the Lincoln and Sudbury Finance Committees, our liaisons and members of Lincoln and Sudbury Select Boards for their countless hours of close attention and review, invaluable guidance and support. Thank you to the residents of Lincoln and Sudbury for the steadiness and heartfelt support of our students, staff and programs.
Sincerely,
Bella Wong
LS FY22 Budget Sudbury Town Meeting Presentation