Athletics
Athletics costs
lunenburgbudgetproject.org — written by the Lunenburg Budget Project, an independent tool for residents. Not affiliated with the Town of Lunenburg, the School Committee or the school district. The data this page is computed from: /data/topics/athletics.json
Athletics is paid from two pots, the town budget and a fee fund. The town’s ledger shows $439,510 paid in FY2026 and the fee fund $146,911; the district’s own sheets disagree on what each team costs, by a multiple.
| Town budget | Fee fund | |
|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | $335,766 | $314,864 |
| FY2024 | $295,979 | $250,575 |
| FY2025 | $541,945 | $32,796 |
| FY2026 | $439,510 | $146,911 |
Spent at the close, from the town’s MUNIS year-end reports: function 3510 in the general fund, and fund 1301.
Town budget
Fee fund
District sheets
Families
What it costs
$439,510
town budget, paid for athletics, FY2026 (ledger)
$146,911
fee fund, paid for athletics, FY2026 (ledger)
$185,356
25 teams, FY2024, the district’s May 2024 deck
$349,145
the same teams, district by-sport workbook
649
sport participations, FY2026
How it moved
45.8%
fee fund’s share of athletics spending, FY2024
5.7%
the same share, FY2025
$250
high school fee, first child, FY2025
$325
the same fee, FY2026
Not settled
$55,300
town athletics budget unspent, FY2026
—
athletics’ share of buildings and grounds
not published
$254,121
into the fee fund on four journal entries, FY2025
0
teams with one cost in all three sheets
—
what any one sport costs, on the books
not published
Town budget
What it costs
$439,510
town budget, paid for athletics, FY2026 (ledger)
Not settled
$55,300
town athletics budget unspent, FY2026
—
athletics’ share of buildings and grounds
not published
Fee fund
What it costs
$146,911
fee fund, paid for athletics, FY2026 (ledger)
How it moved
45.8%
fee fund’s share of athletics spending, FY2024
5.7%
the same share, FY2025
Not settled
$254,121
into the fee fund on four journal entries, FY2025
District sheets
What it costs
$185,356
25 teams, FY2024, the district’s May 2024 deck
$349,145
the same teams, district by-sport workbook
Not settled
0
teams with one cost in all three sheets
—
what any one sport costs, on the books
not published
Families
What it costs
649
sport participations, FY2026
How it moved
$250
high school fee, first child, FY2025
$325
the same fee, FY2026
What it adds up to
- 1
The town’s ledger shows $439,510 paid for athletics in FY2026, and the fee fund $146,911.
- 2
District sheets put the same teams’ FY2024 cost anywhere from $185,356 to $349,145.
- 3
The fee fund paid 45.8% of athletics spending in FY2024 and 5.7% in FY2025.
- 4
The high school fee for a first child rose from $250 in FY2025 to $325 in FY2026.
- 5
Nothing published says what any one sport costs, or what the buildings add.
Athletics, topic by topic
- Total athletics cost →No document states one total: three sheets give $185,356 to $349,145 for the same teams in FY2024.
- Town budget and fee fund →The fee fund paid 45.8% of athletics spending in FY2024 and 5.7% in FY2025, on the town’s books.
- Cost per sport →Not one of 25 teams carries the same FY2024 cost in all three district sheets.
- Spending by category →Coaches and buses cost most on the district’s sheet; the town’s officials account held $0 in FY2026.
- Participation →The district counted 649 sport participations in FY2026, against 675 in FY2024.
- Athletic fee →The high school fee for a first child, a season, went from $250 in FY2025 to $325 in FY2026.Also under Budget options
- Fee fund ledger →The fee fund’s cash fell $103,853 in FY2024; four journal entries then brought in $254,121 in FY2025.
- FY2026 athletics underspend →Athletics closed FY2026 with $55,300 of its $518,334 town budget unspent, on the town’s ledger.Also under FY2026 closeout
Athletic transportation
- Athletic bus funding →From FY2025, athletic buses moved from player fees to the town budget, mostly taxes.Also under Transportation
- FY2027 athletic bus cut →FY2027 cut athletic buses from the town budget, then put $60,000 back, most on the fee fund.Also under Transportation
- Bus cost by sport →Track costs most on the district’s sheet: $13,864 in FY2024, ahead of the next sport’s $9,078.Also under Transportation
- Away trips by sport →The posted schedules list 240 away games in FY2026, about 176 bus trips by our estimate.Also under Transportation
Elsewhere on the site
| Year | Town budget, spent | Fee fund, spent | The two | Fee fund’s share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | $439,510 | $146,911 | $586,422 | 25.1% |
| FY2025 | $541,945 | $32,796 | $574,742 | 5.7% |
| FY2024 | $295,979 | $250,575 | $546,554 | 45.8% |
| FY2023 | $335,766 | $314,864 | $650,630 | 48.4% |
MUNIS year-end (period 13) reports, function 3510 in the general fund and fund 1301. Spent is what the ledger records as expended at the close. The fee fund’s FY2025 figure is net of four journal entries marked expense adjustments.