05/27/2026
Every year, Methuen pays millions of dollars to Greater Lawrence Technical School (GLTS) in Andover. In the upcoming school year alone, Methuen's bill is $6,419,035. That makes Methuen the single largest contributor of any town in the district, covering 57% of all local costs, despite only sending 26% of the students. (GLTS FY2027 Budget Book, March 2026)
Here is the part that should make you stop and think.
Massachusetts law requires every school district to spend a minimum amount each year, called Net School Spending.
It is not optional.
It is the law. (Massachusetts General Law Chapter 70)
According to the state's own compliance records, GLTS has spent BELOW that legal minimum every single year from 2021 through 2025.
📊 The five year shortfall:
FY2021: short by $1,360,697
FY2022: short by $1,684,655
FY2023: short by $1,139,527
FY2024: short by $928,869
FY2025: short by $1,716,899
TOTAL: $6,830,647 in unspent required funding over 5 years
(Source: DESE NSS Compliance Files, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education)
This year... GLTS is adding 13 new positions this coming school year, including an Early Childhood Instructor, Aviation Instructor, Environmental Science Instructor, English Instructor, Math Instructor, Chemistry Instructor, Social Studies Instructor, a Counselor, two Security Paras, and three Custodians.
(GLTS FY2027 Budget Book, March 2026)
And that is on top of a senior administrative team at a SINGLE building with fewer than 2,000 students that already includes:
⚙️ A Superintendent earning $337,000 per year
⚙️ An Assistant Superintendent
⚙️ A Principal
⚙️ Four Assistant Principals and Deans
⚙️ Directors of CTE, Finance, Human Resources, Teaching and Learning, Grants and Workforce Development, Facilities, Food Service, Special Education, Admissions and Counseling, Language Culture and Equity
⚙️ An Athletic Director
⚙️ Three CTE Coordinators
That is approximately 20 senior administrators for ONE building and ONE grade span.
(GLTS FY2027 Budget Book, Organizational Charts, March 2026)
Why... Because they have too in order to try to meet net school spending
Meanwhile, Methuen Public Schools presented a level services budget, meaning no growth, just trying to hold the line. And even that fell short. The district had to DEFER the following positions that were requested but not funded:
❌ Special Education Instructional Coach
❌ Special Education Instructor
❌ Special Education Para-Professional
❌ SAFE Intervention Para-Professional
❌ Three additional building-based Special Education Administrators across Marsh, Tenney, and Timony
(Methuen Public Schools FY27 Preliminary Budget Proposal, May 7, 2026)
These are positions for Methuen's most vulnerable students. Children with disabilities. Children with behavioral needs. They did not get funded.
It's time to get deeper into the discussion.
Let's demand answers.
🔗 All figures are from public records: the GLTS FY2027 Budget Book, the Methuen Public Schools FY2027 Preliminary Budget, and the Massachusetts DESE NSS Compliance Files, all available through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
