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BPS says FTE reductions tied to closures; officials stress IEP-driven services will continue
Summary
At an April 17 Ways & Means hearing Boston Public Schools told councilors the revised FY27 budget reduces about 179 special-education student-facing FTEs—mostly paraprofessionals—with most cuts tied to school closures or reconfigurations; district leaders said legally required IEP services will continue and described service mapping and SEAT as tools to protect delivery.
Chair Ben Webber convened the Ways & Means budget hearing on April 17, 2026, where Boston Public Schools officials described the net effect of FY27 personnel changes on special-education and student-facing roles.
The district’s chief financial officer, David Blum, said the revised FY27 figures show a net reduction of 179 full‑time equivalent positions in special-education and related student-facing roles. "Our revised number ... is a 179 FTE," Blum said, adding that roughly 120 are paraprofessional-type positions and about 44 are support staff. He told councilors that about 77 of those changes result from schools closing or being reconfigured and 51 reflect centrally funded position restructuring.
Why it matters: advocates and parents at the hearing said cuts to paraprofessionals, social workers and…
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