Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Lawrence Union Free School District presented its proposed 2026–2027 school budget during a Board of Trustees meeting on April 20, outlining a plan that maintains academic programming while addressing rising operational costs.
The proposed budget totals $106.23 million, representing a 1.64 percent increase from the current year. Despite the increase, district officials announced that the tax levy will remain at zero percent for the 12th consecutive year, a point administrators highlighted as a continued effort to limit the financial burden on local taxpayers.
“We take all the factors we have into making the budget,” said Jeremy Feder, the district’s assistant superintendent for business and operations. “Everything and every detail go into consideration and we go from there. The budget is a living document, we have to adjust on the fly.”
District leaders said the spending plan prioritizes classroom instruction, student support services and extracurricular opportunities, while balancing fiscal responsibility. Rising costs, including transportation, staffing and contractual obligations, were cited as key factors in the budget increase.
The budget features: $300,00 in legal fees, $250,000 in insurance expenses, $300,000 in support staff, $300,000 in transportation and $150,000 in technology. Along with receiving $1.6 million in state aid.
The proposal includes funding for core academic programs, special education and mental health services, as well as technology upgrades and building maintenance. Officials also emphasized maintaining small class sizes and supporting faculty as central components of the plan.
“We’re always putting the budget together it’s a whole year to evaluate the past budget, current budget, next year’s budget and going forward,” Feder said. “I look back three years and see the trend and before that it was Covid and the budget was skewed. Now it only goes back the three years to 2022.”
Athletics, arts and enrichment programs will also remain funded, with administrators noting their importance to a well-rounded student experience.
This also includes the FEMA project, which is designed to improve drainage, restore damages from Hurricane Sandy and prevent further damage and erosion. Completion for the project is aimed for February 2027 and will allow for the replacement and reopening of the high school turf, secure the grounds and surrounding area from flooding and repair heating and ventilation at the high school.
During the presentation, trustees reviewed projected state aid and overall financial conditions for the coming year. Residents will have the opportunity to review the proposal and ask questions ahead of the annual budget vote on May 19, when voter approval will determine its adoption.
“I am thankful to the board to have a great opportunity to have a beautiful budget with all positive things,” Feder added.
After the budget presentation, the board approved a bid to redo the soccer field at Lawrence Middle School for $300,000. This was not included in the 2025-2026 school budget.
“It’s going to completely redo the soccer field so our high school team should be able to start using it during the summer for practice,” said Heshy Blachorsky, Board of Trustees president. “This includes removing all the excess grass, repairing the sprinkler system and grading topsoil. Hopefully this will be able to get the soccer team off the ground and have a nice, brand new field to practice on.”
