City Council - Education Committee Hearing on Docket #0200

• Meeting Date: March 02, 2026
• Governing Body: Boston City Council Committee on Education
• Meeting Type: Public Hearing on Docket #0200
• Chair: Councilor Julia Mejia
• Committee Members Present: Councilors Erin Murphy, Edward Flynn, Enrique Pepén, Liz Breadon (Council President), Ruthzee Louijeune, Benjamin Weber, John Fitzgerald, Brian Worrell, and Miniard Culpepper.
• Administration and Panelists:
  • David Bloom, Chief Financial Officer, Boston Public Schools (BPS)
  • Mary Tamer, Founder and Director, Mass Potential
  • Ross Wilson, Executive Director, Shaw Foundation

The hearing focused on the district's management of a projected $53 million deficit for the current fiscal year (FY26).

• Primary Deficit Drivers:
  1. Health Insurance: Costs rose to approximately $151 million due to higher-than-expected rate increases and increased employee utilization.
  2. Staffing Fill Rates: A lower vacancy rate meant more budgeted positions were filled than anticipated, impacting salary and benefit lines.
  3. Transportation: Increased costs related to collective bargaining and on-time performance requirements.
  4. Special Education: Higher costs for out-of-district placements and services.
• Cost Mitigation Strategies:
  • A pause on central office hiring, stipends, and new contract spending.
  • A broader pause on discretionary spending, including supplies, equipment, and travel.
  • Exemptions: Direct service school-based staffing, services for unhoused students, enrichment (field trips, athletics), and end-of-year activities (prom, graduation) are explicitly exempted from the freeze.

CFO David Bloom provided preliminary insights into the upcoming FY27 budget (September 2026 – June 2027):

• Staffing Reductions: The district anticipates a reduction of 426 positions in schools (approximately half due to school closures) and 150 positions in the central office.
• Enrollment Decline: BPS continues to face a structural enrollment deficit, with 10,000 fewer students over the last nine years. CFO Bloom noted that federal immigration policy changes have accelerated this decline.
• Financial Outlook: Health insurance costs are projected to rise to $168 million in FY27. The total BPS operating budget is approximately $1.6 billion, reaching nearly $1.8 billion when including grant funding.

External panelists Mary Tamer and Ross Wilson challenged the district's spending priorities relative to student outcomes.

• Mary Tamer (Mass Potential): Highlighted a 'crisis in literacy,' noting that only 9% of 8th-grade English Learners are reading on grade level. She criticized the district's use of the 'Focus' curriculum, stating it is not peer-reviewed High-Quality Instructional Material (HQIM).
  • Direct Quote: "We are spending more and achieving less. And Boston's children cannot afford another decade of drift and decline."
• Ross Wilson (Shaw Foundation): Called for an independent audit of transportation, noting that despite losing 10,000 students, the district has added bus routes and drivers.
  • Key Point: Wilson argued that the district must manage down transportation and collective bargaining costs rather than treating them as outside of administrative control.

• Queenie Lynn Walters (Attorney and BPS Parent): Expressed concern over the prioritization of 'prom over special education' in the list of exemptions. She urged the Council to address the intersectional issues of maternal health and structural racism that contribute to special education needs.
  • Direct Quote: "Some of you all are too much in the weeds and not enough in... the arc of the universe... we're talking about equality and justice here."

No formal votes were taken during this hearing. Chair Mejia and the committee requested the following data from BPS to be provided by the next working session:

1. An itemized list of cost savings achieved through central office reductions.
2. A breakdown of the $17 million overspending on salary and benefits by bargaining unit.
3. A demographic and salary-level breakdown of the 'excess pool' of permanent teachers.
4. A specific list of what constitutes 'centrally budgeted' positions versus 'central staff.'
5. Chair Mejia announced the committee will implement mid-year and end-of-year budget reviews to ensure ongoing accountability.