Funding Public Education in Boston, for FY17

Prior Years

In FY15 and FY16, although the mayor's budget increased funding in Boston Schools by approximately $38m each year, the two budgets actually cut spending by $65m and $40m respectively.

Principals had to make choices and staff was cut. (Regrettably, there is no composite list kept by the administration that we can reference to see the impact. That would be a good thing to do.)

Those two budgets represent a net decrease of financial resources allocated to Boston Schools of approximately $29m per year, net of new initiatives. It is in this context, we assess the mayor's FY17 budget proposal.

FY17 BPS Budget Proposal

For this year, FY17, the mayor has proposed as increase in funding for Boston Schools of $13.5m and at the same time proposed cuts in spending of $40m. That is a net decrease of financial resources allocated to Boston Schools of $26.5m, net of new initiatives in FY17.

The net decrease of financial resources allocated to Boston Schools, over three consecutive years including FY17, would total $84.5m if the mayor's budget is approved.

Our View

In our view, the mayor's budget proposal of $13.5m in new funding is inadequate by $24.5m.

Students and parents demand the Mayor increases his allocation of new spending to $38m, which is the amount he increased spending in two prior year budgets.

If you examine new revenue in the City of Boston over the last year, you will see that this new spending fits well within the norms for percentage of budget allocated for education.

Austerity for BPS

Parents are well aware of the resources in their kids schools lost to this austerity agenda, and parents and students are aware of the financial resources available to other priorities in the City of Boston including tax abatements and infrastructure for private corporations, hosting the Olympic games, which was a priority of this administration, record raises for city councilors, and a 38% pay increase over six years for police detectives. I take no position on these other priorities, I simply make the claim, factually, that they are fought for and funded while Boston Schools are being defunded.

Honestly, I don’t understand how a self-proclaimed progressive Mayor in progressive Massachusetts in progressive Boston pursues an austerity agenda for Boston Schools, especially when he ran on a platform of supporting our schools.

In the name of cost-efficiency

The process by which cost efficiency in Boston Schools is being pursued is problematic. This year's budget does not appear to be premised on finding cost efficiency where cost inefficiency exists but premised on the politics of which age groups can mount an effective resistance to austerity budgets. The process appears to be arbitrary and capricious. Once again, I'm embarrassed by what I view as a failure of leadership.

The first version of the FY17 budget proposal cuts deeply into high school resources. As of this week those cuts have been reversed and new cuts are being made to other parts of the system.

The school committee should not act expeditiously, instead it should examine the proposal in light of the stated goals of our school system and take note of the process school administration is using to assign and revoke resources.

When it come to the educations of 56,000 students who make up the best urban school district in America, we shouldn't allow cost-cutting politics to drive decision-making.

The board has voted on guiding principles that should drive these decisions such as how to close the achievement gap. Unless the budget as proposed moves Boston Schools in those directions, the board must vote no.

In Conclusion, our Demands

Students and parents are asking that the FY17 budget revenue match costs. We want $38m in new revenue for Boston Schools. We want the mayor and the superintendent to demonstrate a deliberative process for finding cost efficiency where cost inefficiency exists and not for politics to drive their process.