Finance Committee hears Lincoln-Sudbury will use circuit breaker reserves to absorb SPED overage

SUDBURY -- December 15, 2025, Lincoln-Sudbury will tap circuit breaker reserves to cover an $800,000 special education shortfall this year. Interim Finance Director Susan Baton told the Finance Committee on Dec. 15 that seven additional unbudgeted out-of-district placements have driven roughly $429,000 in tuition and $52,000 in transportation overages, with the district nonetheless expecting to finish FY26 within $75,000 of its $39.5 million budget. Superintendent Andrew Stephens said enrollment, now 1,357, will fall another 40 to 45 students in FY27 before stabilizing around 1,350, and that next year's budget will include an FTE reduction. Baton flagged a forecast 19.8 percent health insurance increase as the largest FY27 driver. Member Henry Sorett urged both districts to aim for "a non-override budget," citing residents "who can't afford an override." A second-opinion roof assessment by Simpson Gumpertz & Heger is expected in January.