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Council rejects $1 million cut to school transportation in FY‑26 budget vote
Summary
The Committee of the Whole voted down a motion to cut $1 million from the Revere Public Schools transportation appropriation; councilors and school officials disputed the scope of cuts and warned layoffs could follow if funds were removed.
The Revere Committee of the Whole voted down on June 23 a motion to reduce the school department’s Schedule 19 transportation appropriation by $1,000,000 during its FY‑26 budget deliberations.
Councilor Novoselski moved the reduction, arguing transportation costs were too high and could be trimmed to protect other taxpayers. "I cannot afford a 9 and a half percent increase in water ... I am gonna have to sell my home and move out of the city and rent," Novoselski said earlier in the meeting while discussing utility affordability; during the budget vote he proposed the $1,000,000 transportation cut as a targeted savings measure.
School and city officials said much of the transportation budget is legally required or tied to students with special needs. Mayor and school officials noted the district’s gross transportation total included roughly $7.7 million for special‑education transport that cannot be cut without affecting required services; the school committee reported it recently trimmed non‑required transportation by about $1.7 million.
School committee representatives warned an immediate $1 million reduction would likely result in staff layoffs or require the district to take the money from other school programs. "If you just did a $1,000,000 cut today, there will be lay offs tomorrow," a school committee representative said during the meeting.
The roll call on the motion recorded the following votes: Councilor Novoselski (Yes), Councilor Zambuto (Yes); Councilor Argencio (No), Councilor Cogliandro (No), Councilor Giannino (No), Councilor Greeno Sawaya (No), Councilor Hass (No), Councilor Jaramillo (No), Councilor Kelly (No), Councilor McKenna (No), Council President Silvestri (No). The motion failed on a 2–9 vote.
Budget deliberations during the meeting also covered broader school transportation policy changes. City leaders said the district is implementing alternatives to traditional bus service, including CharlieCard (MBTA) subsidies for high‑school students and middle‑school transit allowances (referred to as “M7 cards”), which officials said will be available in the coming school year and cost substantially less than operating large buses for limited ridership. The mayor said only 132 high‑school students used the bus in recent counts and that the city is shifting resources to reduce underutilized routes.
The committee subsequently gave a favorable recommendation to the full FY‑26 budget as presented, with no additional council cuts approved at the Committee of the Whole meeting.
