The Lexington Public Schools quarterly financial reports format has been changed completely. While explanations are always welcome, where are the numbers? What should be a report for quantitative analysis and alerts has now become a qualitative narrative.
The amount of actual financial information provided is now negligible. For example Full Time Equivalent counts and changes, department and school based expenditures are all missing. The new quarterly financial reports provide paragraphs upon paragraphs, without showing the underlying math.
Why not?
Quoting myself from last year: “the quarterly reports which show accumulated expenses in each spending bucket as the year progresses. It’s our early warning system! Which departments are overspending or underspending. The report for the 4th quarter which is also the end of the financial year is especially important. It helps us understand trends and predict needs for the next budget cycle. It is also an important accountability measure, as it ensures that the funding guidelines were adhered to during the past academic year.”
Please see these two reports a year apart and draw your own conclusions whether this has increased/decreased financial accountability.
Deepika Sawhney
| Date and School Committee Agenda | Lexington School Committee Meeting Jan 7th 2025 | Lexington School Committee Meeting October 2026 |
| Quarterly reports | FY 25 First Quarter Report | FY 26 First Quarter Report |