Dear LCPS Families and Staff,

Over the past several weeks, we've been discussing declining student enrollment and what those trends may mean for LCPS as we begin planning for fiscal year 2028 (FY28). I've shared information with our employees, and we've continued these conversations with the School Board and our community. Today, I want to address some of the questions and concerns that have come up.

On Tuesday, my team and I held a budget work session with the School Board. In advance of that session, we met with individual Board members to review what would be discussed and provided them with the materials ahead of time. The purpose of that preparation, and of the work session itself, was to put a range of budget management options before the Board for its consideration and feedback. That feedback is important; it guides our budget development work.

This year, we presented options for staffing adjustments and school consolidation, both of which have routinely been presented in prior years. Despite what some reporting has suggested, we were not proposing or recommending either. Rather, we were seeking the Board's direction on what it may want to consider.

That said, I recognize that discussion of staffing adjustments and school consolidation may have created concern among our families and staff. Let me be clear: LCPS administration was not, and is not, recommending any school closures, and the School Board has made clear that closures are not under consideration. Suggestions that these two things are inevitable are both premature and inaccurate.

Regarding staffing: after many years of significant growth, LCPS is experiencing a decline in student enrollment, a trend we expect to continue over the next several years. As enrollment changes, we will need to evaluate staffing and resources to ensure we're meeting the needs of our students and schools. However, we are still in the early stages of planning.

As we move forward, we will review staffing standards, vacancies, retirements, and other normal employee attrition to determine how best to meet the changing needs of our schools. Our goal remains to retain the talented people who serve our students every day while ensuring our schools have the staff and resources they need, and we believe we will be able to meet that goal.

I understand why these discussions may cause concern, particularly while there are still questions we cannot yet answer. That is exactly why we started this process early, and why we will continue to communicate with families and staff as our planning progresses.

I encourage you to review our Just the Facts: Student Enrollment and FY28 Planning  fact sheet for additional information about enrollment trends and our planning process.

Thank you to our employees for the work you do each day, and to our families for your continued partnership and support. Together, we will continue to provide the high-quality education our students deserve.

Sincerely,
Dr. Aaron Spence
Superintendent