LYNN — During Thursday evening’s School Committee meeting, Superintendent Molly Cohen presented the FY27 budget report and outlined a detailed strategic process for her team moving forward.
She began by sharing that the LPS district is facing a 435-student decline in enrollment.
“This enrollment number is the official calculation of the FY27 budget,” Cohen stated.
Cohen shared that although last year’s budget increase was extremely large, this year’s was smaller, with a $10.2 million incremental increase.
“The challenge isn’t that funding stopped increasing, it’s that the costs didn’t stop increasing.” Cohen stated, “… we are prepared to move forward with our priority areas approach.”
Major factors that impacted the FY27 budget were an enrollment decline, which led to a $9 million decrease in funds; contractual obligations; increased transportation costs; increased special education tuition costs; and higher health insurance costs.
Cohen’s superintendent cabinet is “actively curating all the ideas directly related to our priority areas.” She shared that the goal is to present to the School Committee the official budget proposal in mid-March.
“The FY27 budget will hyperfocus on ensuring equitable access to rigorous instruction for all students by prioritizing core instruction, people and practices, family and community engagement,” she said.
Cohen stated that their first priority is to strengthen the instructional core, specifically tier one instruction anchored in culturally and linguistically responsive practices.
The second priority is people and practices.
Cohen explained that careful staffing decisions are essential. The plan is to rely on natural attrition when possible, adjust staffing levels to reflect enrollment trends and student needs, and cut supplemental expenses that fall outside core instructional roles. This approach supports stability while ensuring resources are focused on the most impactful practices.
The third is family and community engagement.
“We know our FCCs are critical connectors and we want to elevate and coordinate their work,” Cohen said.
Cohen shared that by coordinating efforts across schools and obtaining grant funding, we can maintain this work even during a tight budget year while continuing to strengthen meaningful, authentic partnerships with families and communities.
“These identified priorities create coherence in the system, and they ensure that every decision we make is anchored in our values.”
She also explained that improvement efforts are centered on three key levers to strengthen both school- and district-level systems. First, professional learning must be embedded into daily practice, with fewer disconnected initiatives and more coaching and PLC-based collaboration. “Our goal is coherence,” Cohen said, emphasizing that “the work teachers are asked to do should reinforce and accelerate the instructional core, not compete with it.”
The district is also prioritizing a strong instructional core with integrated support for special education and multilingual learners through an MTSS framework, ensuring students have access to grade-level rigor with appropriate scaffolding and progress monitoring.
Finally, leaders are focusing on attendance, belonging, and inclusion through aligned roles and coordinated strategies.
“Together, these levers guide our decision-making and ground our budget priorities in what will make the largest impact at scale,” Cohen said.
Cohen and her cabinet take a cautious and fiscally responsible approach to financial planning, emphasizing sustainability and alignment with instructional priorities.
It highlights a transparent, collaborative process involving principals, directors, union partners, and the broader community.
Next steps include refining proposals with fiscal responsibility in mind, aligning grants to core needs, and preparing for the School Committee’s formal review. The focus remains on accountability and ensuring funding directly supports student learning.
“The disciplined and collaborative approach will allow us to navigate a challenging fiscal year while protecting what matters most for our students,” Cohen stated.
