Peabody schools propose $99.05M FY26 budget; council sends proposal back after public outcry over student‑facing cuts

Superintendent Josh Vedala presented the Peabody Public Schools’ proposed fiscal 2026 budget on June 17, asking the finance committee to approve a $99,050,552 operating budget after a series of reductions and partial restorations the school committee approved in May.

Nut graf: The proposed school budget, which Vedala said is balanced after a mix of offsets and reinstatements, includes reductions that school leaders and many public commenters said would cut student‑facing positions (teachers, paraprofessionals and specialized supports). Parents, teachers and advocacy groups urged the city council to reject or send the budget back for revision; the council voted unanimously to return the school proposal to the School Committee for further work.

What the district proposed Vedala described the path from a level‑service estimate of roughly $104 million to the amended $99,050,552 proposal. He said the initial level‑service pressure came from a $2.5 million increase in school health insurance costs, roughly $800,000 in higher anticipated out‑of‑district special education tuitions, some $600,000 in higher transportation costs tied to a new contract, step and lane movement for teachers, and the cost to reopen the Center School (Vedala cited roughly $2.25 million to return the Center School to full operation).

The superintendent said the final proposed budget reflects a net reduction of 13.5 full‑time equivalent positions from FY25. He said reductions were distributed across units: 5 FTEs in Unit A (teachers), 8 FTEs in Unit C (paraprofessionals), 2.5 in Unit B (administration, partly positions previously reduced when Center School closed) and other offsets and non‑salary savings approximating $2 million.

Public and staff reaction Teachers, school employees and parents urged the council to reject the budget or require further revisions. Patricia May, a Higgins Middle School teacher, said the district was sending a “clear message” that staff who speak out risk retaliation; she asked the council to preserve an eighth‑grade cluster at Higgins and to halt cuts to student supports. The Peabody Special Education Parent Advisory Council (CPAC) submitted comparative DESE accountability data and urged more transparency on administrative roles and grant funding. Public commenters described high needs at several schools (Brown, Carroll, Higgins and the high school) and argued district data and classroom experience do not support the reductions.

Council reaction and next steps Multiple councilors pressed Vedala and school committee members for granular data: special‑education caseloads, the distribution of state aid and the staffing mix by school. Councilors repeatedly cited the Brown and Carroll schools as having higher concentrations of special‑needs or English‑learner students and asked whether ELL and reading supports are being apportioned equitably. Vedala said title‑1 and other grant funds supplement some reading and intervention staff, and he referenced a $691,000 “circuit breaker” offset (state special‑education reimbursement) applied in the final proposal.

After listening to public comment and council questions, Councilor Gould moved to return the school budget to the School Committee for revision. The roll call vote on that motion was recorded as unanimous (11–0). Council members explained the decision as an effort to provide the School Committee time to incorporate public feedback and supply additional data, rather than to impose a short‑term one‑twelfth funding order.

Direct quotes and attributions - “I will respectfully request for a motion to approve the proposed total FY26 school budget in the amount of $99,050,552 as presented,” Superintendent Josh Vedala said when concluding the presentation. - “Do as we say, don't question it, and you will keep your job,” parent and longtime resident Kendra Patterson told the council, summarizing what she described as a culture of intimidation in the district.

Ending Councilors instructed the School Committee and superintendent to return with a revised submission informed by the evening’s public comment and data requests. The council recorded its 11–0 vote to send the budget back on June 17 and left the enterprise and detailed city‑side budget reviews for the next finance meeting.