05/19/2026
Most of you probably have heard by now that the override did not pass. While this is not the turn out that many of us have hoped for, luckily for some of our most vulnerable students, things will not change. However, this doesn't mean they aren't affected. Here are some things to note.
-Starting next year, there will no longer be a "Bridge program" for our high school special education students. Programs like this often help students with vocational training or transition into independent living.
-For learners who receive special services and also attend an inclusion classroom, they can expect larger class sizes without an increase in staff. There is no budget for additional paraprofessionals in these classrooms.
-Fortunately, the school was able to keep Unified Sports, so all of our learners will be able to participate in this type of extracurricular activity.
I wanted to share this with you, not to scare you, but to prepare you for what's to come next year. As always, the PACSAL community is here to support you and your learner in any way possible.
Starting next school year, we will be meeting on the 1st Wednesday of every month at 6:00 PM. We will either have a hybrid meeting, with in-person and online components at the high school (room TBD), or we will meet solely online.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out at [email protected]
More information about the school cuts is in the post below.
Dear LPS Families,
We are writing to you today to share an update on the district budget for the upcoming school year following the results of the recent override vote. We recognize that this was a deeply debated issue in our community. Regardless of how you voted, it is our responsibility to be fully transparent about what the resulting "Balanced Budget" plan means for our schools, our staff, and our students.
As we have shared in recent months, balancing this budget without the override required significant restructuring. To meet our legal obligations and state mandates—such as funding essential English Learner (EL) and Special Education positions—we had to make difficult reductions in other areas of our district.
Behind every number in a budget is a student experience, a dedicated educator, or a valued program. We want to be clear about the adjustments we are making for the upcoming year:
Classroom & Academic Adjustments
Class Sizes: We are reducing 2.0 Classroom FTEs at both the Primary level and Turkey Hill Elementary. (Total 4.0 FTEs) This will result in larger class sizes (up to 30 students) in grades 1-5.
Academic Support: We are reducing Interventionist roles by 1.0 at the Primary level and .5 at Turkey Hill, which results in the loss of early intervention resources in reading and math.
Curriculum & Electives: We have paused a $40,000 Elementary Science Curriculum adoption. At the High School, the inability to hire a World Language Teacher and the .4 Music Teacher will consolidate course offerings and reduce fine arts electives. Grade 5 band instruction will also be discontinued.
Therapeutic & Behavioral Supports
While we are preserving legally mandated special education roles, we must reduce other supplemental supports. We are unable to fund a 1.0 Teacher and 1.0 Paraprofessional for the LHS Bridge Program, requiring us to restructure how we support our vulnerable high school students.
We are also leaving a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant position unfilled through attrition, which will adjust the delivery of fine motor and sensory support.
Extracurriculars, Athletics & Operations
Athletics: To preserve the vast majority of our athletic programs, we must increase Athletic Fees by $75. Unfortunately, we must eliminate the Ski Team, Boy's Golf, Girl's Lacrosse, and middle school sports.
Transportation: We are enacting $132,550 in combined cuts to athletic and band transportation. Families will now need to manage travel to most practices, games, and competitions.
Health & Safety: A 0.5 reduction to our Athletic Trainer position will limit immediate on-site injury evaluation coverage.
Operations: The loss of a Custodian (through attrition), a $15,000 reduction in custodial supplies, and the reduction of a State Reporting Secretary position will require our operations and administrative teams to adapt to leaner resources.
These are significant changes, and we know that reading this list is difficult. Making these reductions goes against our core desire to provide the right resources for the students of Lunenburg.
However, we want to be incredibly clear about what is not changing.
The heart of our district, our exceptional teachers, staff, and administration, remains deeply dedicated to your children. We must be honest that with fuller classrooms and fewer resources, the day-to-day educational experience will look and feel different. Our capacity to provide highly individualized attention will be stretched. We remain fully committed to doing everything we can with the resources we have to foster a safe, welcoming, and caring environment where our students can continue to learn and grow.
Our district has always been defined by the resilience of our staff, students, and the strength of our LPS community. We ask for your partnership, grace, and patience in the coming school year as we navigate these transitions together.
We will continue to communicate specific logistical updates as we approach the fall.
In Partnership,
Jodi L. Fortuna Ed.D
Superintendent Lunenburg Public Schools
