School spending
Spending compared
lunenburgbudgetproject.org — written by the Lunenburg Budget Project, an independent tool for residents. Not affiliated with the Town of Lunenburg, the School Committee or the school district. The data this page is computed from: /data/topics/school-spending.json
Lunenburg spent $18,027 a pupil in FY2025, all funds, against a state median of $23,520, and has sat in the state’s bottom quarter for 17 years. Its school general fund spent under its revised budget every year from FY2010 to FY2026.
| Lunenburg | State median | First quartile | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2009 | $10,605 | $12,242 | $11,156 |
| FY2010 | $10,720 | $12,450 | $11,267 |
| FY2011 | $11,080 | $12,728 | $11,585 |
| FY2012 | $11,448 | $13,080 | $12,022 |
| FY2013 | $12,027 | $13,463 | $12,452 |
| FY2014 | $12,384 | $13,984 | $12,978 |
| FY2015 | $12,424 | $14,461 | $13,353 |
| FY2016 | $12,982 | $15,018 | $13,946 |
| FY2017 | $13,209 | $15,581 | $14,223 |
| FY2018 | $13,828 | $16,270 | $14,626 |
| FY2019 | $13,783 | $16,952 | $15,166 |
| FY2020 | $13,797 | $17,308 | $15,611 |
| FY2021 | $15,201 | $18,902 | $16,978 |
| FY2022 | $15,864 | $19,552 | $17,637 |
| FY2023 | $17,684 | $20,866 | $18,876 |
| FY2024 | $17,601 | $22,227 | $20,106 |
| FY2025 | $18,027 | $23,520 | $21,179 |
All funds, over total FTE pupils, as DESE reports each closed year.
1 · Against the state
$18,027
a pupil, all funds, FY2025
$23,520
the state median
310 of 318
districts, highest spending first
17 of 17
years in the state’s bottom quarter
7 of 10
spending functions in the bottom quarter
2 · Against other districts
6 of 6
place among six this project chose
2nd
average teacher salary among the six
145 of 177
schooled elsewhere, at districts spending more
$25,827
Monty Tech a pupil, FY2025
3 · Budget against actual
17 of 17
school fund under its revised budget
3.4%
furthest under, FY2021
198 of 576
lines within 2% of budget
4 · What it adds up to
- 1
$18,027 a pupil ranked 310 of 318 in FY2025, in the bottom quarter in all 17 years.
- 2
It was in the state’s bottom quarter on 7 of 10 spending functions.
- 3
Of six districts this project chose, it spent least a pupil; its average teacher salary was 2nd.
- 4
145 of 177 children schooled elsewhere went to districts spending more a pupil.
- 5
The school fund came in under its revised budget in all 17 years; single lines missed far more.
Against the state
- Spending per pupil →Lunenburg spent $18,027 a pupil in FY2025, all funds, against a state median of $23,520.Also under Homes and taxes
- Lunenburg per-pupil breakdown →Lunenburg’s $18,027 a pupil in FY2025, by what it paid for: insurance and grants are in it, capital is not.Also under Monty Tech
- What per pupil counts →Three official measures of school spending count different things; neither state one counts capital.Also under Monty Tech
- Spending by function →Lunenburg was in the state’s bottom quarter on 7 of 10 spending functions in FY2025.
- Grants and revolving funds →Of $30,031,242 DESE counts for FY2025, grants and revolving funds paid $3,044,898: 10.1%.
- Reaching the state median →At the FY2025 state median a pupil, Lunenburg would have spent $39,181,968, by our arithmetic.Also under Bromfield
Against other districts
- Comparison districts →Of six districts this project chose to compare, Lunenburg spent the least a pupil in FY2025.
- Spending and pupils →From FY2012 to FY2025 Lunenburg’s spending rose 48.7% and its pupils fell 5.6%; North Middlesex lost 23.5%.
- Gap by function →In-district, Lunenburg spent $2,103 a pupil less than Ayer Shirley, the middle of the six this project chose.
- Average teacher salary →Lunenburg’s average teacher salary was $97,233 in FY2025, 2nd of the six districts this project compares.
- Destination districts →145 of the 177 children schooled elsewhere in FY2026 went to districts that spend more a pupil.
- Regional districts →Five nearby regional districts spent $18,142 to $25,827 a pupil in FY2025; Lunenburg spent $18,027.
Budget against actual
School Committee funds
- School Committee funds →The schools held $1,592,572 in 61 funds outside the appropriation at 31 March 2026.
- School revolving funds →The 9 school revolving funds took in $1,031,126 and paid out $1,119,195 in nine months of FY2026.
- School grant balances →13 of the 46 school grant funds were overdrawn at 31 March 2026, by $378,942 together.
- Revolving fund history →The 9 school revolving funds closed FY2023 holding $1,074,431, against $306,471 at the close of FY2011.
Elsewhere on the site
- Net school spending →Lunenburg spent 116.0% of the state’s minimum in FY2024, and met the minimum in all 31 years.Also under State aid
- Spending against the median →In FY2024 Lunenburg ranked 238 of 362 districts on spending against its minimum; in FY2018 it was 181 of 361.Also under State aid
- Required local contribution →What the state requires the town to put in rose 37.8% from FY2019 to FY2026; Chapter 70 rose 22.4%.Also under State aid
- Teachers per pupil →Lunenburg had 6.70 teacher FTE per hundred pupils in FY2025, 12th of 13 on the state’s sheet.Also under School staffing
- Children schooled elsewhere →177 resident children were in other public districts in FY2026, against 186 in FY2014; the mix changed.Also under Enrolment
- Special education overruns →In the worst of 17 years, FY2013, special education needed $223,774 beyond its voted budget.Also under Special education
- FY2025 school surplus →FY2025 closed with $627,117 unspent, $23,231 more than the figure the School Committee was given.Also under FY2026 closeout
- FY2026 school surplus →The school general fund closed FY2026 with $482,118 unspent and uncommitted, 1.8% of its budget.Also under FY2026 closeout
- Monty Tech per pupil →Monty Tech spent $25,827 a pupil in FY2025: above the all-district median, below the vocational one.Also under Monty Tech
- Monty Tech per-pupil breakdown →Monty Tech’s $25,827 a pupil in FY2025, by what it paid for: insurance and grants are in it, capital is not.Also under Monty Tech