The Boston School Committee unanimously passed BPS’s $1.7 billion dollar budget for the next fiscal year, sending controversial cuts and hundreds of layoffs forward to City Council for approval.
“These are not choices we make lightly, but they will allow us to protect the services and programs that directly impact and benefit our schools and classrooms,” Superintendent Mary Skipper said Wednesday night. “In closing, I ask for an affirmative vote from this committee on the Boston Public Schools Fiscal Year 2027 budget.”
The final approved $1.726 billion budget represents an $88 million or about 5% increase from the current year. The budget includes cuts to about 568 positions, resulting in slashes to currently vacant positions but also including hundreds of layoffs….
….
Boston Teachers Union Secretary-Treasurer Karen Cross said she joined over 100 educators, parents and more to rally to undo budget cuts at City Hall on Tuesday, causing the City Council chamber to “hit its capacity within about 10 minutes.”
“I see that across the board, we are all facing a difficult financial situation,” Cross said. “So we don’t ask the city to commit 1% of its operating budget to our schools lightly. Boston carries more than $1.2 million in unassigned reserves, more than $550 million in certified free cash, and still holds a AAA bond rating. This is not a city that can’t afford to give its students access to a quality education.”