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Greater Lowell Tech presents FY27 budget; district cites lost low-income designation as main revenue pressure
Summary
Superintendent Jill Davis told the Select Board that changes in the states foundation formula and a drop in the district's low-income classification combined to reduce Chapter 70 (foundation) revenue, and the FY27 operating proposal relies on $525,000 from reserves plus $450,000 in recurring other income to balance a $61.13 million budget.
Jill Davis, superintendent-director of Greater Lowell Technical High School, presented the school districts FY27 budget to the Tyngsborough Select Board on April 6, explaining that the request was developed from the governors House budget proposal and local input.
Davis said the district received a $409,880 increase to Chapter 70 aid this year but that a drop in the share of students classified as low-income moved the district from a higher tier to a lower one for foundation funding and produced roughly a $1.5 million reduction in estimated state revenue compared with last year. "This drop was a significant caused us to have a significant deficit in this year's budget," she told the board.
The district projects a total budget of about $61.13 million for FY27, including a roughly $2.06 million increase in spending year over year. Davis said the district plans to use $525,000 from excess and deficiency reserves and to rely on $450,000 of other recurring revenues (interest and Medicaid reimbursement) to help balance the budget.
On program questions, Davis said recent constraints on the LPN program (reduced to 20 students by the board of nursing last summer) have been addressed and the program will return to 40 students for the coming year due to newly secured clinical placements. She also noted transportation contract rebids produced roughly a 10% increase and that the district is tightening supply and software spending to absorb teacher contract cost increases.
Select Board members pressed staff for detail on enrollment trends, per-pupil foundation rate changes (vocational, special education and ELL categories), and how one-year fluctuations in low-income designation can create planning challenges. Davis said the district is monitoring trends and had contacted the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education about variations statewide.
The presentation ended with board thanks and congratulations to Davis on her announced retirement this year. The district indicated the FY27 materials and line-item budget detail are published on the districts site for residents to review ahead of the towns budget season.
