One billion dollars! The biggest Boston Public Schools budget of all time! Our schools should be rich with resources, right? So why are we always hearing about shortfalls and cuts? To address this question you first need to understand what the budget is and how it works at the school level.
“Backpack full of cash”
Your school budget is based almost entirely on enrollment. Each student brings a certain amount of money with them to the school. This amount has been referred to as a “backpack full of cash” because if a student leaves a school, the money leaves with them.