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Override Vote at Town Meeting Monday, May 2nd |
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Tuesday night, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to put forth an override of $553,000 to meet the budgetary needs of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School next year. The override must pass at both Town Meeting on May 2nd and at the ballot on June 7th. The override will cover the shortfall caused by an unprecedented $652,000 increase in out-of-district special education costs, which consists primarily of costs being shifted from the Sudbury Public Schools and the Lincoln Public Schools to L-S. By law, L-S must pay for these costs, just as SPS and LPS have paid for them in prior years. Because Lincoln would pay its proportional share of the $652,000, if the Sudbury override passes, the amount L-S needs is $553,000.
A ballot question committee called "Sustain Sudbury" has been created to support the $553,000 override recommended by the Board of Selectmen and the School Committees this year. Without the override, L-S will be forced to cut approximately 4 teachers/counselors, resulting in 18 ½ course sections being eliminated. The 400 displaced students who would have been in these classes will be added to the remaining classes, thus increasing class sizes yet again. Approximately 5 support staff will also be cut, including staff reductions in Academic Support Center tutoring, special education, and buildings and grounds. (Even with an override, L-S will still be making cuts in many areas such as academic and athletic department budgets and the substitute teacher budget.)
Sudbury is known for its excellent schools and town services. We all enjoy the benefits of the investments we have made in our town: high-quality classroom instruction, course offerings at all levels, successful college-ready students, and high property values. We need long-term solutions to Sudbury's annual budget shortfalls. In the meantime, we do not want our children's education to suffer.
A new website, www.SustainSudbury.org, has been created where you can get information about the budget process and sign up as a supporter.
Please attend Town Meeting on Monday, May 2nd, at 7:30 pm at the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, and vote YES for the override to support our schools and our town.
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