Last night kicked off the FY 2027 budget season with an overview and a release of all the budget documents. The district’s preliminary FY27 budget proposal totals $1.71 billion, representing a $74 million increase over current spending. This increase comes even as BPS serves roughly 3,000 fewer students than last year, continuing a multi-year trend of declining enrollment. On a per-pupil basis, the district is now spending approximately $37,000 per student. What makes this especially concerning is that increased spending has not translated into improved outcomes. Only one-third of high school students are currently on track to meet BPS graduation standards, and proficiency in ELA MCAS for students in grades 3–8 has declined from 35% in 2019 to 29% in 2025. During that same period, the district added approximately 1,700 positions, raising fundamental questions about staffing growth, productivity, and accountability. Transportation costs illustrate this disconnect. The FY27 budget proposes an additional $11 million for transportation, bringing total spending on yellow buses to approximately $200 million annually, despite ongoing reports from families that buses remain unreliable and poorly coordinated.

Superintendent’s Report - A Response to the Globe: 

The meeting began with an executive session to discuss collective bargaining strategy with United Steelworkers Local 2936, representing bus monitors. While no details were shared publicly, we expect to hear more about this in the coming meetings. Once in public session, the Committee began by recognizing 22 National Board Certified Teachers, a reminder that individual educators continue to demonstrate extraordinary commitment to their professional growth and to their students.

Superintendent Mary Skipper then delivered an abbreviated report, including a brief comment on a Boston Globe article that noted one third of BPS students are currently not on track to graduate under MassCore requirements. While we have been talking about this issue for months, if not years, clearly the city’s flagship paper has finally caught on to this troubling trend. The Superintendent expressed confidence that these numbers would improve in the coming months as seniors complete coursework and as the district considers exemptions for certain students in the Class of 2026.

The FY27 Budget Presentation: Financial Challenges Ahead

During last night’s budget presentation, Superintendent Skipper framed the proposal as a necessary response to rising costs, pointing to expensive health insurance premiums, transportation, special education services, and collective bargaining agreements as the most important factors. She noted that the district froze central office hiring as early as November 2025 and has since expanded spending pauses to schools. CFO David Bloom provided additional detail, explaining that the district overspent its health insurance budget by $18 million in FY26 due to higher-than-expected premium increases and a reduction in vacant positions. Transportation costs, he stated, continue to rise despite efforts to identify efficiencies, and special education spending is being driven by increased out-of-district placements and post-pandemic service needs.

Committee member Rachel Skerritt pressed district leaders on enrollment projections and how that dovetails with forecasting the budget for the coming years. District officials acknowledged that their forecasting model relies heavily on historical data and failed to anticipate the combined impact of the 2024 election and the rapid contraction of the state shelter system.

In response, the district described a plan to provide “transition support” for under-enrolled schools, two years of additional funding under certain conditions. While presented as equitable funding, the approach closely mirrors the “soft landings” model long criticized for perpetuating inefficiencies by maintaining staffing and programming in schools without sufficient enrollment.

While much of the budget discussion remained abstract, the consequences at the school level are becoming concrete. Schools such as Blackstone, Edison, Hennigan, Condon, and Charlestown High are facing staffing reductions ranging from 12% to 17%, cuts that will directly affect programming, student supports, and personnel.

Perhaps the most important exchange of the night came when Member Skerritt asked how the district could be confident that this budget would not lead to another fiscal crisis. District leaders touched on some new practices, including requiring schools to budget for benefits and eliminating positions rather than creating positions with the expectation that they remain unfilled. But that response only underscored the deeper concern: why were these safeguards not in place already? 

What’s Next: 

This is just the beginning of the budget process. Over the next six weeks, we will be covering the district’s budget presentation to the committees, at both school and district levels, to illustrate how BPS is navigating this challenging time. Be on the lookout for more information related to this budget cycle, as this is crucial for the future of the district. 

The next meeting will be held next week on February 12th at 5:30pm. Stay warm and stay tuned for more on the Boston School Committee!