Boston City Council Ways and Means Hearing on FY27 BPS Budget – April 16, 2026

The Boston City Council Committee on Ways and Means, chaired by District Six Councilor Ben Weber, held a hearing on April 16, 2026, beginning at 2:13 PM, to review the Fiscal Year 2027 budget for Boston Public Schools (BPS). The hearing covered docket numbers 0733–0740 and 0741–0743, focusing on food service, safety, human resources/staffing, transportation, and facilities/transportation/technology revolving funds. This was the second of three BPS budget hearings. Councilors Murphy, Flynn, Braden, Louijeune, Orrell, and Durkin participated. BPS officials present included Senior Deputy Superintendent Dr. Sam DePina, Chief of Human Resources Francis J. Canty, Executive Director of Transportation Dan Rosengaard, Executive Director of Safety Security and School Crisis Response Izzy Morrero, Deputy Chief Financial Officer Blair Dawkins, and Chief Financial Officer David Bloom.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Dr. Bianca Ortiz White (BTU Strategic Researcher, Roslindale resident) urged the council to move the BPS health insurance appropriation out of the school budget and into the city's central budget, noting that BPS is an outlier and that the current structure caused a $49.4 million health insurance increase to directly impact school funding. She stated that most Massachusetts cities centralize this budget.
• Ayush Bajpai (BTU Political Organizer) opposed the elimination of three district social worker positions, stating it would affect 37 schools, 13,491 students, and 71 school-based social workers. He detailed the roles of district social workers in crisis support, training, and coordination, noting that one district social worker trained 140 staff in safety care and provided 68 instances of clinical support.
• Johnny McGuinness (BTU Political Director) supported centralizing BPS health insurance and called for a supplemental appropriation to avoid cuts to student-facing services. He argued that the current budget would harm students with special needs, multilingual learners, and low-income students.
• Clifton Braithwaite (community member, grandfather) raised concerns about children going home without food, requested more community involvement, and asked about immigration studies, parent GED programs, and support for LGBTQ+ students.

Discussion Items

• Central Office Budget and Staffing Reductions: BPS CFO David Bloom reported approximately 2,800 centrally funded positions, including 700 traditional central office roles. Total FTE reductions are 175, with 57 from central office. Reductions include vacant bus monitor positions, special education staff, safety services, and custodial positions due to fewer buildings. Councilor Flynn pressed for restoring three district social workers; BPS officials said they would consider it but made no commitment.
• Transportation: Transportation Director Dan Rosengaard stated that the FY27 transportation budget is about $197 million, an $11 million increase. However, actual spending is projected to be stable or slightly below FY26 due to cost overruns this year. On-time performance is the highest ever, and uncovered trips decreased after assessing $105,000 in non-performance damages against vendor Transdev in March. Of 625 daily routes, 45% of schools served are non-BPS (charter, private, out-of-district special education). Councilor Louijeune requested a full disaggregation of transportation costs.
• Safety and Student Support: Safety Director Izzy Morrero stated that 58 safety officers are deployed, with 60 when fully staffed, covering over 120 buildings. School leaders can request safety personnel. The Vipers team (Violence Intervention, Prevention, and Restorative Specialists) has 11 members trained in mediation and conflict resolution. Councilor Flynn asked about the unsigned MOU with Boston Police; BPS operates under the agreed terms.
• Food Service: The food service director (not named in transcript) reported that the central kitchen is operational, providing freshly prepared meals to all schools. Savings of $2.6 million are projected from the central kitchen shift. Breakfast in the classroom is expanding. Staffing reductions are based on meal-per-labor-hour formulas tied to enrollment.
• Teacher Layoffs and Licensure: Chief Canty explained that positions are eliminated due to under-enrollment or licensure issues. Of 700 unlicensed teachers this year, 200 have obtained licensure. The district is working to place excess educators (permanent teachers) into available positions. Councilor Murphy questioned the timeline for provisional teachers.
• Health Insurance and Budget Structure: BTU speakers advocated moving BPS health insurance costs ($197 million) to the city's central budget, as is done for other departments. Councilor Flynn supported this idea.
• Facilities and HVAC: The facilities revolving fund is capped at $2 million. Most HVAC repairs come from the capital budget. ACs have been installed in most schools except four; work is underway at Bates, Kenny, and Lee Academy schools.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken; the hearing was informational and will continue the next day (April 17) with a focus on long-term capital planning.
• Councilor Flynn requested a list of all positions being eliminated (including those due to licensure and vacant positions). BPS agreed to provide the list.
• Councilor Murphy requested a breakdown of central office budget line items (contracts vs. personnel). BPS agreed to provide backup.
• Councilor Louijeune requested a disaggregation of transportation costs by category (yellow bus, door-to-door, charter/private, McKinney-Vento, MBTA passes, etc.). BPS agreed to provide.
• Councilor Braden requested job descriptions for senior advisors and deputy in the chief of staff's office (approx. $2 million for five positions).
• Councilor Flynn urged restoration of three district social worker positions; BPS said they would take it under advisement.