Installment 6: Keeping Students at the Center
Over the past five installments, I have shared the progress Lawson has made, the financial foundation behind that work, where our funding comes from, and why different dollars serve different purposes. I have also explained the pressure that projected reductions in total state funding and continuing costs place on our operating budget. Now we must put that information to work.
Lawson remains financially stable. Years of careful planning have given us healthy reserves and time to make thoughtful choices. We need to use that time well. Our adopted 2026–27 operating budget anticipates approximately $14.25 million in revenue and $14.76 million in expenses, a planned gap of about $514,000. Actual results may differ from the budget, but repeated annual gaps would gradually reduce the reserves that help protect our schools.
The standard for our decisions
Our community expects strong instruction, meaningful opportunities for students, safe and dependable services, and responsible use of public resources. We share those expectations.
We expect to make decisions about how resources are used as we respond to changing funding. We have not predetermined those decisions. We will ask whether an expenditure strengthens learning, meets a student need, or supports the safe operation of our schools. We will also consider its ongoing cost and how a decision affects students, families, educators, and support staff.
Our goal is to provide the best education and opportunities we can for Lawson students today while protecting our ability to do the same for the students who follow. That means keeping strong academics, support for students who need additional help or greater challenge, and meaningful opportunities beyond the classroom in view as we plan.
Some decisions may be difficult. We will approach them with care, using the best information available and keeping students at the center.
How we will plan and report back
Throughout the year, we will compare actual revenue and spending with the adopted budget and update our long-range projections as better information becomes available. We will look for effective ways to use resources while considering both student impact and costs that continue from year to year.
We will discuss significant choices with the Board of Education. When decisions are made, we will explain what changed, why the decisions were made, and how we expect them to affect students.
Our reserves give us flexibility to manage uncertainty and avoid rushed decisions. They cannot permanently cover expenses that exceed revenue each year. Addressing a developing gap while we have choices is part of protecting the quality of education Lawson students deserve.
Continuing the conversation
This series was intended to give families, staff, and community members a clear picture of Lawson’s finances and the decisions ahead. In the coming days, I will share a link to the complete series and an opportunity to submit questions and perspectives about student needs and our financial outlook. We will review that input privately and use it to help shape a future community conversation.
The progress described in this series reflects the work of our staff and the support of a community that believes in its schools. We will carry that commitment forward by providing the strongest education and programming we can for our local students while managing district resources responsibly.
We Are Lawson: Where Proud Traditions meet today’s challenges to provide Endless Possibilities.
Michael Stephenson
Superintendent of Schools
Lawson R-XIV School District
Sources: Lawson R-XIV FY27 adopted budget and Long Range FY26–FY30 Budgeting Forecast dated September 10, 2026. The FY27 figures are adopted budget estimates; future-year figures are planning projections that will be updated as conditions change.