To the editor:
Lynnfield’s budget season has begun, and residents will be hearing many discussions about the town’s FY27 finances in the coming months. As Chair of the School Committee and a member of the Budget Subcommittee, I wanted to share what residents can expect to see in the coming budget and to highlight the progress made this year.
Community support is essential to providing Lynnfield students with the resources they need to succeed. I am proud that this year’s budget process began earlier than usual and has included more opportunities for public input than perhaps ever before. Next week, Superintendent Tom Geary will present the school department’s current budget proposal to the Select Board.
Last spring, the town approved a critical capital investment to upgrade school technology. That support has already made a tangible difference. Classrooms are now equipped with functioning Smartboards, and students have reliable Chromebooks to access curriculum and instruction. These tools, which are essential to modern learning, had previously been outdated, unreliable, or, in some cases, nonexistent. Today, every classroom and student has the technology needed to build 21st-century skills.
The Superintendent and the LPS technology department have provided a clear roadmap to maintain and protect this infrastructure. To maintain educational excellence, continued, thoughtful capital investment will be needed, and residents will see that reflected in next week’s Select Board presentation. The proposed budget includes priorities such as classroom technology and critical safety systems like school PA systems.
Superintendent Geary will also present a proposed FY27 operating budget. It reflects fiscal discipline and the work of a relatively new administrative leadership team that is already making meaningful changes to ensure dollars are directed where they matter most: student learning and safety. I am grateful for their ongoing efforts.
The School Committee’s role is to ensure that the district’s budget reflects Lynnfield’s values and that every taxpayer dollar is used responsibly and effectively. That commitment will continue to guide our work in the months ahead.
Kristen Elworthy
Chair, Lynnfield School Committee
The views in this letter reflect the opinion of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the School Committee as a whole.
