While the Boston Public Schools on Wednesday touted its “biggest budget yet” — adding $26 million to its budget proposal for 2020 — several schools will lose up to half a million dollars in their individual budgets and education advocates are upset with the consequences for students as a result.
“You are hurting the kids who are already disadvantaged,” Robert Jenkins, member of Generations Inc. told school committee members Wednesday night. With the budget cuts, his organization will no longer be able to work with students at Shaw Elementary.
“When it comes down to it, it’s about our students, especially our students who don’t get the same equity that other kids do,” he added.
The district is looking at a $1.139 billion budget for fiscal year 2020, but advocates said the budget is only actually about a 2.4 percent increase from last year, with those additional costs just about covering teacher raises that were recently negotiated.