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Council questions BPS FY27 staffing cuts as leaders defend central‑office reductions
Summary
At an April 16 Ways & Means hearing, Boston Public Schools officials said the FY27 budget reflects roughly 2,800 centrally funded positions and dozens of targeted reductions, prompting councilors and union speakers to press to restore student‑facing roles such as district social workers and nurses.
Chair Ben Weber convened the Boston City Council Committee on Ways & Means hearing April 16 to review the Boston Public Schools FY27 budget and field questions from councilors and the public.
The most contested issue was personnel: administration officials told the council there are about 2,800 centrally funded positions across BPS and that the district’s budget includes reductions described as a mix of eliminated vacancies and a smaller set of actual layoffs. “We have approximately 2,800 centrally funded positions,” said David Bloom, the district’s chief financial officer, and staff described roughly 700 positions generally considered central‑office roles and an updated FTE reduction figure provided to the council.
Why it matters: council members said reductions to school‑based supports risk student safety and learning. Councilor Flynn repeatedly urged the administration and the body to restore three district social worker positions the budget proposes to cut, saying those roles are critical during crises. A Boston Teachers Union organizer told the hearing that cutting “just three social workers” would affect dozens of schools and thousands of students and urged the council to press for restoration.
Administration response and mechanics: officials said many reductions are from vacant positions — bus monitors, certain special‑education related roles and positions tied to school closures or consolidations — and that individualized personnel actions can also arise when staff lack required licensure. On licensure, the administration explained that when an educator lacks state certification the district must post the position to apply for a waiver, a process that can require temporary layoff postings before a waiver can be sought.
Transportation and other drivers: transportation spending drew sustained scrutiny. The district projects a transportation budget near $197–200 million; officials said the contract now includes incentives and accountability measures and that on‑time performance is higher this year than historically. When uncovered trips spiked in December, the district said it assessed nonperformance damages for March and reported an improvement afterward.
What’s next: councilors pressed BPS to provide itemized lists of positions being eliminated, the precise breakdown of the transportation budget (door‑to‑door, MBTA passes, charter/private school transport, McKinney‑Vento van service and bus monitors) and options for restoring critical student supports. The hearing will continue in follow‑up sessions where officials committed to deliver the requested disaggregations and staffing lists.
