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Brooklyn School District outlines FY 2026–27 priorities, staffing cuts and special‑education exposure
Summary
The Board of Education’s FY 2026–2027 proposal would raise the district budget to $24.87 million (a 4.48% increase), cites special‑education and contractual salaries as primary cost drivers, and lists $650,562 in proposed reductions including three eliminated teaching positions.
The Board of Education’s submitted FY 2026–2027 budget materials, presented to the Board of Finance on April 7, 2026, propose a total appropriation of $24,867,583, a $1,065,738 increase (4.48%) over the prior year. The presentation identifies contractual salaries, special‑education tuition, high‑school tuition and benefits as the largest cost drivers.
The BOE materials list a set of planned reductions totaling $650,562 that include elimination of three instructional positions: the BES instructional coach, the BMS instructional coach and one Grade 5 teacher. The materials also note the district budgeted a CSDE Excess Cost Grant reimbursement rate of 70% for FY27 in its model while calling out that a legislatively mandated 91% reimbursement applies to Brooklyn; the difference materially affects net special‑education expense in the budget model.
Line‑item details show salaries at roughly 42% of the budget and special education at about 29.9% of the proposed total. The Superintendent’s materials call for a 4.48% overall increase (the BOE earlier slide records 4.21% in a different context), and list object‑level changes including a projected 9.9% increase in medical insurance and a 10% contractual increase for DATTCO transportation.
The proposal includes operational and capital notes: no new capital requests were submitted; technology replacements (Chromebooks, network infrastructure, smartboards) and facility repairs (exterior walls, roofing, oil‑tank replacement) are included in the request. The materials provide staffing and class‑size projections for BES and BMS and enumerate special‑education staffing (12.5 special education teachers, related service staff and contracted placements) that support students in inclusive and specialized programs.
The BOE materials include assumptions used in preparing the budget (flat ECS grant, rising costs and continued unfunded mandates) and provide contact information for public questions (budgetquestions@brooklynschools.org). The presentation states the Board will continue to refine the proposal as the Board of Finance completes its review; the BOE did not adopt a final tax‑rate or appropriation at this meeting.
