Out-of-district tuition payments

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/how-tuition-is-paid.json

In FY2026 the state paid back $579,142 of $1,257,225 in placement costs, 46.1%, a year after Lunenburg paid.

One average private placement’s tuition, a year, splitour estimate

Private tuition over children placed, FY2022 to FY2025. The state repays about three quarters above a threshold. Our arithmetic, not a bill.

Share of placement costs the state paid back

	The state’s share
FY2010	14.2%
FY2011	14.7%
FY2012	27.2%
FY2013	31.6%
FY2014	33.9%
FY2015	32.5%
FY2016	39.0%
FY2017	32.7%
FY2018	33.0%
FY2019	38.9%
FY2020	38.8%
FY2021	44.8%
FY2022	48.9%
FY2023	49.6%
FY2024	43.9%
FY2025	42.4%
FY2026	46.1%

Of every dollar of placement cost the state counts, how much it paid back, by the year it paid; each payment covers the year before.

Out-of-district tuition paid, by month

FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026

	FY2023	FY2024	FY2025	FY2026
Jul	$0	$0	$0	$0
Aug	$124,359	$11,039	$183,853	$0
Sep	$11,312	$240,279	$0	$313,817
Oct	$102,575	$38,569	$149,118	$204,658
Nov	$53,886	$78,711	$95,765	$31,204
Dec	$50,963	$103,666	$85,830	$290,157
Jan	$118,988	$152,754	$150,356	$20,249
Feb	$19,070	$86,540	$46,505	$9,904
Mar	$51,153	$70,254	$60,106	$40,095
Apr	$36,082	$91,064	$270,163	$239,704
May	$128,553	$84,680	$30,501	$64,558
Jun	$102,775	$97,248	$133,751	$263,213

Every out-of-district tuition payment the school journal posts, every fund. The year’s bills arrive from August.

1 · The facts

10
fewest months with a payment, in a year
$1,257,225
placement costs the state counted, for FY2026
$579,142
repaid by the state, FY2026
46.1%
the state’s share of placement costs, FY2026
14.2%
the state’s share, FY2010
73.7%
the formula’s rate, on cost above the first share
$52,419
threshold a child, FY2026 (our division)
our estimate
$230,514
average private placement, a year (ours)
our estimate
$133,571
paid back on it, a year later (ours)
our estimate
$96,943
left to Lunenburg, a year (ours)
our estimate
$988,630
private school, rate set by the state: FY2026 budget
$302,663
collaborative, run jointly by districts: FY2026 budget

2 · What it shows

1
The state paid back 46.1% of placement costs in FY2026, up from 14.2% in FY2010.
What it means: The state now covers nearly half of placement costs, so a placement’s price overstates what it costs the town.
2
Why not more: the formula pays 73.7% of each child’s cost only above the first $52,419.
What it means: A dear placement gets much more back than a cheap one, so the town’s own cost varies less than the prices do.
3
On an average private placement of $230,514, the state pays back $133,571; Lunenburg keeps $96,943.
What it means: When a meeting cites a placement’s price, the town’s own cost is closer to $96,943 a year, repaid in part a year late.
4
Lunenburg pays first, by invoice, in at least 10 months of every year read.
What it means: Because Lunenburg pays first and is repaid a year later, some account carries a year of the cost in between.

What was said

“Dave Passion questions how the 14% increase was absorbed last year. Julianna Hanscom states it is probably absorbed with a lot of the carry over for the circuit breaker monies and that’s why that account has gone down.”
— Dave Passios (minuted as Passion), Finance Committee; Julianna Hanscom, Director of Special Services, Finance Committee, 14 March 2024
Finance Committee minutes, 2024-03-14

1 · The facts

2 · What it shows

What was said

Sources