GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. UM, FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JULIA MEJIA AT LARGE CITY COUNCILOR AND I ALSO HAPPEN TO BE THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE. UM, SO LORD HAVE MERCY.
THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL'S COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION. UH HUH. UM TODAY IS MARCH 2ND, 2026 AND THE TIME IS 205. THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED
AND IT'S ALSO BEING LIVE STREAMED AT BOSTON.GOV/CITY COUNCIL DASH TV AND BROADCAST ON XFINITY CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 AND FILES CHANNEL
964. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT CC C DOT EDUCATION@BOSTON.GOV AND WILL BE MADE PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING OR IF NOT PEOPLE AT OR AT THE BEGINNING UM INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE
TWO MINUTES TO TESTIFY. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO SIGN UP. UM AT THE SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER. IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO TESTIFY
VIRTUALLY PLEASE EMAIL OUR CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON. MAKE CARBON OFF AT MEG DOT C K AVE A AND HGH@BOSTON.GOV FOR
THE LINK AND YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET 0200. IN ORDER FOR A HEARING ON STAFFING PROGRAM IMPACTS.
THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY MY COLLEAGUES COUNCILOR UH MURPHY, COUNCILOR FLYNN AND COUNCILOR FITZGERALD AND IT WAS REFERRED TO THIS COMMITTEE ON
JANUARY 28TH 2026. TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL COUNCILOR MURPHY, COUNCILOR FLYNN, COUNCILOR BOURBON AND COUNCIL PRESIDENT BREADON WHEN ELSE.
RIGHT. UM AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE RECEIVED A LETTER OF ABSENCE FROM COUNCILOR SANTANA AND JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT FOR THE
RECORD AND I WILL READ HIS, UH ,LETTER INTO THE RECORD. DEAR CHAIR, MEJIA AND COLLEAGUES OF THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, I REGRET TO INFORM YOU THAT I AM UNABLE TO ATTEND TODAY'S HEARING ON DOCKET 0200
TO DISCUSS THE IMPACTS OF BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS HIRING AND SPENDING FREEZE ON OUR STUDENTS, EDUCATORS AND SCHOOL COMMUNITIES. I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO CHAIR MEJIA FOR
HOLDING THIS HEARING AND COUNCILOR MURPHY FOR SPONSORING THIS DOCKET. I LOOK FORWARD TO REVIEWING THE VALUABLE INSIGHTS FROM THE DISCUSSION AND THE COMMITTEE'S REPORT AND RECOMMENDED NEXT STEPS. I AM COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH
MY COLLEAGUES TO ENSURE THAT OUR SCHOOLS CAN CONTINUE SUPPORTING THEIR EMPLOYEES AND PROVIDING AN ACCESSIBLE, HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION FOR OUR STUDENTS. SINCERELY, HENRY A SANTANA BOSTON CITY COUNCILOR AT LARGE
. ALL RIGHT. SO I ALSO UH WE'RE GOING TO DO THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. NORMALLY WE HAVE TWO PANELS BUT YOU KNOW ANYTHING THAT IS IN MY COMMITTEE IS ALWAYS
NONTRADITIONAL RIGHT. SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO BRING EVERYBODY TOGETHER. IS THAT OKAY? GREAT. UM SO I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE TODAY'S AND UM REPRESENTING THE ADMINISTRATION IS DAVID BLOOM
THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. AND WE ALSO HAVE MARY TAYMOR WHO'S THE FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF MASS POTENTIAL LATER WILL BE JOINED BY ROSS WILSON, WHO'S
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SHAW FOUNDATION. UM, SO BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I'M GOING TO UM, TURN IT OVER TO THE LEAD SPONSORS FOR ANY OPENING REMARKS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
>> CHAIRMAN HERE. UM, AND THANK YOU. I KNOW WE WERE SCHEDULED LAST MONDAY AND WE HAD A SNOWSTORM. SO INSTEAD OF GOING ZOOM I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER IN PERSON. I PREFER IN-PERSON CONVERSATION.
SO THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, SWITCHING AROUND YOUR SCHEDULES TO GET HERE. THIS HEARING ORDER WAS FILED I KNOW THAT I HAVE FILED I THINK EIGHT UM HEARING ORDERS OR 17
HAVE SO FAR THIS TERM RELATED TO A LOT OF UM ONGOING ADVOCACY I'VE BEEN DOING SINCE I CAME ON THE COUNCIL AND WE'RE HEADING RIGHT INTO BUDGET SEASON JUST THIS MORNING WITH THE CHAIR A
WAYS AND MEANS WE HAD ANOTHER WORKING SESSION KIND OF WORKING THROUGH CONCERNS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE UPCOMING BUDGET. BUT FOR ME THIS WAS A SPECIFIC ONE AND I WAS HAPPY UM THANK YOU COUNCIL PRESIDENT BREADON
THAT THIS ONE WAS PLACED IN THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE. MANY PEOPLE THOUGHT YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT SHOULD GO INTO WAYS AND MEANS, BUT I THINK THIS CONVERSATION REALLY NEEDS TO BE GROUNDED IN NOT JUST THE NUMBERS WHICH WE'LL HAVE PLENTY
OF TIME AND CONVERSATION TO HAVE THOSE, YOU KNOW, HEARINGS AND YOU KNOW, REALLY DIG DEEP INTO THOSE MONEY NUMBERS BUT TO REALLY TALK ABOUT THE IMPACTS
BECAUSE AS SOON AS WE HEARD THAT PRINCIPALS AND SCHOOL LEADERS WERE BEING TOLD IN JANUARY WHEN THEIR SCHOOL PSYCH. COUNCILS WERE COMING TOGETHER AND THEY NEEDED TO GET, YOU KNOW, THEIR BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR ALREADY THAT THEY WERE
GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME HARD CHOICES. SO TEACHERS AND STAFF AND FAMILIES AND EVEN STUDENTS WERE REACHING OUT HEARING, YOU KNOW ,THAT THEY WERE LOSING POSITIONS OR LOSING FUNDING
STIPENDS AND YOU KNOW, JUST DIFFERENT WAYS THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL FINDS WAYS TO EDUCATE AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY WRAP SERVICES AROUND OUR STUDENTS. SO I'M JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO
HAVING JUST KIND OF AN HONEST CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT DOES 53 MILLION MEAN? WHEN IS IT GOING TO BE? IS IT RIGHT NOW WE'RE ALREADY CUTTING STIPENDS AND NOT BEING ABLE TO FINISH OUT A YEAR WHERE
WE'RE PAYING FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OR YOU KNOW, FIELD TRIPS OR AND I KNOW ALSO QUESTIONS AROUND HOW MANY TEACHERS OR EDUCATORS ARE ACTUALLY GETTING LAID OFF THE
NUMBERS SOMEWHERE, YOU KNOW, TWO 300 ARE WE INCLUDING OUR PROVISIONAL TEACHERS KNOWING THAT THEY'RE NOT GUARANTEED A JOB? SO JUST QUESTIONS AROUND THAT AND OBVIOUSLY GROUNDED IN WHAT ARE OUR SCHOOLS GOING TO LOOK.
>> LIKE. IN SEPTEMBER AND IS IT GOING TO BE DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT BASED ON THIS SHORTFALL THAT WE'RE SEEING? SO THANK YOU CHAIR I'LL SAVE MY QUESTIONS AND MORE CONVERSATION AFTER WE HEAR FROM BOTH OF YOU. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU COUNCILOR MURPHY. AND BEFORE WE CONTINUE I JUST WANT TO NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT WE HAVE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCIL UH, EXCUSE ME, COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE AND COUNCILOR UH, WEBER.
ANYONE ELSE? GREAT. UM, AND JUST IN THE SAKE OF, UM ,COUNCILOR FOR ANY OPENING
REMARKS COUNCILOR PRESENT IN THAT BEING MY COLLEAGUES. ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND HONORED TO PARTNER WITH COUNCILOR MURPHY AND
COUNCILOR FITZGERALD ON THIS IMPORTANT DISCUSSION AND WHAT IMPACT THESE CUTS WILL HAVE ON STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS. UH, I WAS AT THE UM JOSEPH LEE
SCHOOL WITH UM WITH COUNCILOR MEJIA AND WITH COUNCILOR MURPHY LAST WEEK FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH TALKING TO STUDENTS AND PARENTS AND THEY
WERE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT IMPACT THE BUDGET WILL HAVE ON ON THIS SCHOOL. I WAS ALSO ON A CONFERENCE CALL RECENTLY WITH COUNCIL ME HERE WE WERE TALKING TO STUDENTS.
WE WERE TALKING WE WERE TALKING TO PARENTS AND TO UM INTO UH TEACHERS AT THE MEL KING ACADEMY AND WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT IMPACT POTENTIAL BUDGET
CUTS WILL HAVE ON THIS SCHOOL. UM, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS HAVE THE RIGHT RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO TO GET
A DECENT EDUCATION, ESPECIALLY STUDENTS OF UM STUDENTS OF COLOR AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. I THINK THESE ARE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AND I'M GOING TO
CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR FOR THOSE STUDENTS AND FOR THEIR PARENTS AND THE IN MY OPINION THIS IS A HUGE CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU. >> COUNCILOR FLYNN. I WANT TO NOTE FOR THE RECORD
THAT WE'VE ALSO BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR UH FITZGERALD IS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL CO-SPONSORS AS WELL AS COUNCILOR WIRRAL COUNCIL. FITZGERALD, DO YOU NOW HAVE THE FLOOR? THANK YOU. >> CHAIR I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOU HOLDING THIS HEARING.
UM, YEAH. I THINK WHAT I'M JUST LOOKING TO FIND OUT IS. KNOWING RIGHT THE NEWS THAT'S OUT THERE AND BEING A PARENT TO THREE KIDS MYSELF UM, AND SOME OF THE OTHER PARENTS NOT ONLY
AT THAT SCHOOL BUT ALSO FROM SCHOOLS AROUND THE DISTRICT COMING UP TO ME ASKING WHAT THESE CUTS MEAN, WHAT IS THE EFFECT IN THE CLASSROOM? UM, EVEN THINGS OF THE NATURE OF LIKE WAIT ARE WE CAN WE STILL GO ON FIELD TRIPS IF YOU
KNOW I HEARD THERE WAS A FREEZE ON THINGS LIKE THAT. SO EVEN DOWN TO THAT GRANULAR LEVEL, UH, HOPING YOU CAN SORT OF UH, PUT IT IN A DIGESTIBLE MANNER FOR US, UH, THAT WE CAN REPORT BACK AS WE CAN AND, UH,
AND HELP YOU GUYS FIGURE OUT WHATEVER IT IS WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DELIVERING FOR OUR KIDS. SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING HERE I APPRECIATE IT. YEAH. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FITZGERALD. UM, AND JUST WANTED TO JUST SAY THAT THIS, UH, HEARING IS GOING
TO FOCUS ON THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL STAFFING AND PROGRAM IMPACTS AS COUNCILOR MURPHY UPLIFTED. YOU KNOW, THE DISTRICT IS CURRENTLY MANAGING A PROJECTED 53 MILLION UM DEFICIT AND IS UM
AND THE STAFFING ALLOCATIONS AND ARE A CENTRAL PART OF HOW THIS GAP IS GOING TO BE ADDRESSED SPECIFICALLY AROUND PROGRAMING. UM, AND SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW THE STAFFING
MODEL IS GOING TO WORK. UM, WHAT CHANGES ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED AND HOW THOSE GELS AND THOSE ADJUSTMENTS ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTING THE PROGRAMING AND THE QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION FOR OUR STUDENTS?
OUR GOAL IS TO REVIEW THE DATA HERE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION AND STAKEHOLDERS AND ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF BOTH THE FISCAL CONTEXT AND ALSO THE OPERATIONAL UM, IMPLICATIONS
OF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES. AT THE END OF THE DAY, PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE THE BEST SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE ENTIRE NATION GIVEN THE DEFICITS. WHY ARE YOU CLAPPING? OKAY.
CHIEF, I SEE YOU LEARNING. UM, AWESOME. SO WHY DON'T. WE JUST DIVE RIGHT IN UNLESS ANYONE ELSE I KNOW THAT MY COLLEAGUES WAVED OPENING REMARKS, SO, UM, JUST THE LEAD
SPONSOR, SO WE'RE GOOD TO GO. SO WHY DON'T WE START OFF WITH, UM, MISTER BLOOM, YOU NOW HAVE THE FLOOR AND 20 MINUTES. THANK YOU.
UH, MY CHAIR AND I HOPE TO NOT TAKE 20 MINUTES, SO I'LL TRY AND BE BRIEF. UM, SO WE CAN FOCUS ON YOUR QUESTIONS. UM, SO THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR HAVING MEJIA TODAY AND GIVING
ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. UM, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW ME, WHO ARE MAYBE WATCHING UH, MY NAME IS DAVID BLOOM. I'M THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
UM, MY MATERIALS TODAY WILL GIVE A QUICK UPDATE ON THE FY 26 UH, BUDGET AND SPECIFICALLY SOME PROJECTED SHORTFALLS THAT WE COMMUNICATED TO THE SCHOOL
COMMITTEE IN DECEMBER. UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE WE'LL HAVE SOME CONVERSATION AS WELL ABOUT IMPACTS FOR FY 27, BUT WE ARE ALSO COMING BACK FOR A WORKING SESSION ON THURSDAY
THAT WILL GO INTO MORE DETAIL. UM, SO UH. IN DECEMBER WE BROUGHT TO THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE AN APPROXIMATELY $50 MILLION
PROJECTED OVERRUN. UM, JUST TO CLARIFY, THIS DOES NOT MEAN. WE WERE $50 MILLION. SORT OF IN THE RED IN THAT MOMENT BUT SIMPLY MEANT THAT IF WE CONTINUE OUR CURRENT
SPENDING RATE WITH WHAT WE UNDERSTOOD ABOUT THE BUDGET, WE WOULD FINISH THE YEAR OVER BUDGET BY ABOUT $50 MILLION IN PARTICULAR. WHEN WE WERE. LOOKING AT. UH THE COST OF SERVICES IN
THESE FIVE MAIN AREAS HEALTH INSURANCE, TRANSPORTATION, SPECIAL EDUCATION, OUT OF DISTRICT COSTS, FOOD SERVICES AND FULL TIME EMPLOYEES WE SAW COST OVERRUNS
HIGHER THAN OUR BUDGETED AMOUNT IN OUR PROJECTIONS. SORRY. LOOKING AT TWO THINGS APOLOGIZE .
UM SO AS SOON AS WE SAW THIS INFORMATION WE STARTED WORKING AGGRESSIVELY TO MANAGE OUR BUDGET. ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE FACE IS THAT IT'S. REALLY HARD FOR US TO DO.
PROJECTIONS ON SPENDING BEFORE SEPTEMBER WHEN WE GET THE BEST DATA. UM, UM, THE NUMBER OF STAFF WE'VE HIRED AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S FILLED FOR THE START OF SCHOOL. SO THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER AND
DATA FROM SEPTEMBER IS OUR SORT. >> OF FIRST. DATA POINT TO UNDERSTAND THE. EARLY INDICATIONS IN SEPTEMBER, DATA SUGGESTED THAT SOME OF THE THINGS WE PRESENTED TO THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE WERE TRUE.
WHILE WE NEEDED TO TAKE SOME MORE TIME AND LOOK AT THE DATA FROM OCTOBER. >> TO CONFIRM. WE BROUGHT THAT INFORMATION. >> TO THE SUPERINTENDENT. AND IDENTIFIED THE NEED TO START BY TIGHTENING OUR BELTS AT THE CENTRAL OFFICE. IN PARTICULAR. UM.
>> TO START TO BRING DOWN OUR. RATE OF SPENDING. SO THE FIRST THING WAS A PAUSE OF CENTRAL HIRING STIPENDS AND CONTRACT SPENDING. THIS DOES NOT MEAN.
>> A UNIVERSAL FREEZE. BY ANY MEANS. UH, SPENDING DIRECTLY RELATED TO STUDENTS WAS STILL ALLOWED TO CONTINUE SO WE DID NOT PAUSE FOR EXAMPLE, CENTRALLY. >> HIRED RELATED SERVICE PROVIDERS. >> FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION.
WE ALSO LAUNCHED. DEEP REVIEW OF TRANSPORTATION. FACILITIES AND FOOD SERVICE BUDGETS. TO MAKE SURE WE COULD IDENTIFY AREAS OF. COST SAVINGS UM.
>> RELATIVE TO OUR INITIAL PROJECTIONS. WE ALSO DID AN. IEP REVIEW BECAUSE. THERE WERE PROJECTED HIGHER THAN EXPECTED SPECIAL EDUCATION COSTS. TO ENSURE APPROPRIATE.
ASSIGNMENT OF STAFF UM AND SERVICES TO STUDENTS AND THEN WITH. SCHOOLS THAT WERE. SIGNIFICANTLY UNDER. ENROLLED WE DID SOME MANAGEMENT OF POSITIONS. WHAT THAT MEANS IS. THERE WERE. >> SOME.
SCHOOLS THAT WERE SIGNIFICANTLY . UNDER ENROLLED. WHERE MAYBE THEY HAD A TEACHER GO ON LEAVE OR A. POSITION BECOME VACANT. AND WE WORK WITH THE SCHOOL. TO UNDERSTAND. WOULD IT BE. POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO COVER THAT. LEAVE OR VACANCY INTERNALLY
DUE. >> TO. UNDER ENROLLMENT INSTEAD OF HIRING ADDITIONAL STAFF MEMBER? IF STAFF WERE REQUIRED THEY WERE ALLOWED. >> TO BE HIRED. SORRY KEEP LOOKING AT THE WRONG
PLACE. SO AS WE GOT BETTER DATA ABOUT OUR COSTS SPECIFICALLY THE DATA FROM. OCTOBER AND. NOVEMBER THE THE. SECOND AND THIRD MONTH OF OUR FISCAL. >> YEAR, WE REALIZED WE WOULD
NEED TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE. >> IN OUR COST MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES. WE PRESENTED INFORMATION ON THE UM BUDGET TO TO THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE. AND WORKED WITH A VARIETY OF STAKEHOLDERS.
TO COME UP WITH ANOTHER ROUND. >> OF COST. MITIGATION STRATEGIES. THIS INCLUDED A. BROADER PAUSE ON VACANT POSITIONS AND DEPENDENT CONTRACTORS IN UM BOTH SCHOOL
BASED AND CENTRAL OFFICE, A PAUSE ON DISCRETIONARY SPENDING INCLUDING NEW CONTRACTS, CERTAIN TYPES OF SUPPLIES, EQUIPMENT AND TRAVEL AND STIPENDS UM. AND FOR SCHOOLS WE HAD.
SAID ANYTHING THAT HAD BEEN SUBMITTED. PRIOR TO. UH THE. >> NEW YEAR WOULD BE APPROVED REGARDLESS. IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO KEEP OUR OPERATIONS RUNNING. SMOOTHLY. >> WE CREATED A. NUMBER OF EXEMPTIONS TO THE
POS. SO FOR STARTERS DIRECT SERVICE SCHOOL BASED. STAFFING WAS EXEMPTED. . GOODS AND SERVICES FOR UNHOUSED STUDENTS WERE EXEMPTED.
ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES SUCH AS FIELD TRIPS, ATHLETICS BEFORE AND. >> AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS. EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS WERE EXEMPTED FROM. >> THE PASS AND OF YEAR UM. ACTIVITIES FOR HIGH SCHOOLS LIKE PROM, GRADUATION, YEARBOOK WERE EXEMPTED.
TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION AND OTHER LEGALLY REQUIRED. ACTIVITIES WERE. >> ALL EXEMPT. UM FOR. THE COUNCIL'S REFERENCE I'VE. PROVIDED SOME UM UH
COMMUNICATIONS AND. FAQS THAT. WENT OUT. >> TO STAFF ABOUT THESE PAUSES WITH A MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION. OF WHAT SERVICES WERE. >> IMPACTED AND WHAT SERVICES. >> WERE NOT. I DO ALSO JUST WANT TO CLARIFY . ONE REALLY CHALLENGING.
THING ABOUT THE TIMING OF ALL OF THIS THE BROADER PAUSE AND COMMUNICATION TO SCHOOL COMMITTEE COINCIDED WITH. OUR UH, DISTRIBUTION OF. >> OUR UH, UPCOMING. >> SCHOOL YEAR'S BUDGET.
THE UNFORTUNATE. NATURE OF THE TIMING OF OUR BUDGET PROCESS MEANS THERE'S THERE'S REALLY. NO WAY TO AVOID. >> TALKING ABOUT TWO YEARS AT THE SAME TIME. WE ARE AWARE THAT THIS. CAUSED A FAIR AMOUNT. >> OF CONFUSION. >> IN OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES AT
SOME SCHOOLS. HEARD THAT THEY MIGHT BE. LOSING A POSITION. >> FOR NEXT YEAR AND WERE. CONCERNED THAT IT WAS CONNECTED TO THE PAUSE OR SOMEHOW HAPPENING IN THE CURRENT. BUT WE'VE TRIED. TO ENSURE THAT UH.
STAFF AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN OUR SCHOOLS. IS THIS PAUSE IS NOT. RESULTING IN ANY. LAYOFFS OF ANY STAFF. IN THE CURRENT YEAR. RIGHT. >> THERE ARE NO CURRENT YEAR LAYOFFS BECAUSE.
OF THIS PASS AND NO. REQUIRED STUDENT FACING POSITIONS. UH OR ALL STUDENT ALL. REQUIRED STUDENT FACING POSITIONS ARE EXEMPTED RIGHT
CAN CONTINUE UM AND SO I'M REALLY UH GLAD TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY. TODAY WITH. THE COUNCIL YOUR. UM CHAIRMAN HIS LEADERSHIP. TO BE ABLE TO CLARIFY, UH, FOR YOU AND FOR THE COMMUNITY.
MORE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR. SO, UH, THANK YOU AND I'LL TURN THE REST OF MY TIME BACK TO YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU. UM, CAN YOU BEFORE WE GET STARTED TO THE ROUND OF QUESTIONS, CAN YOU FOR THE
RECORD, JUST FOR THOSE WHO ARE TUNING IN, UH, REITERATE THE TIMING SO LIKE BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH CONFUSION. SO YOU COULD JUST SAY FOR THIS ACADEMIC YEAR THAT STARTING IN SEPTEMBER.
RIGHT. OR WOULD WHEN WHENEVER IT STARTS. YEP. THAT'S RIGHT. SO CAN YOU JUST SEPTEMBER 2026 THROUGH JULY UH JUNE 2027 CAN
YOU JUST REITERATE FROM JUST BECAUSE I THINK FOLKS WHO ARE TUNING IN MAY BE A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED. SO FOR THE RECORD, CAN YOU JUST
EXPLICITLY STATE THAT. >> YES. SO FOR. THE THE MATERIALS. >> I'VE. JUST PROVIDED ARE. FOR THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR. >> WHICH BEGAN IN SEPTEMBER OF 2025 AND WILL RUN THROUGH JUNE OF 2026.
SORRY. UM. SEPARATELY WE'VE. COMMUNICATED INFORMATION ABOUT. BUDGETS FOR NEXT. SCHOOL YEAR STARTING IN. SEPTEMBER OF 2026. RUNNING THROUGH. JUNE OF 2027.
THE EXEMPTIONS AND UH, PAUSES THAT I MENTIONED ARE ALL. FOR THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR. RIGHT? >> SO THE. SCHOOL YEAR UM. 2526 REDUCTIONS IN STAFFING AND
ANY LAYOFFS OR NON RENEWALS OF STAFF. WOULD BE AS PART OF. OUR FY 27 BUDGET PROCESS STARTING IN SEPTEMBER OF 26. THROUGH EXCUSE ME. THROUGH UH DUE.
UH JUNE OF 26. SO UH ANY. LAYOFFS OR STAFF. REDUCTIONS ARE. FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL. YEAR STARTING IN. UM SEPTEMBER. SO THEN THAT'S WHERE I'M A
LITTLE BIT CONFUSED BECAUSE I I THOUGHT YOU SAID IT WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN UNTIL THE FOLLOWING. OKAY. SO IT'S STARTED IN 2026 NOT 2027. SO THE 2627 SCHOOL YEAR I
APOLOGIZE. >> I REFER TO. YEAH YEAH BECAUSE I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT I DON'T. LISTEN I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THIS RIGHT AND IF I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING IT I KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE THAT FOLLOW ME AREN'T UNDERSTANDING IT
EITHER 100 SO LET'S CLEAR IT OUT. SO THE, UM, PROJECTED. DEFICIT I'M REFERENCING UM. IS FOR SCHOOL YEAR. 2526 THE CURRENT YEAR WE'RE IN. YEAH.
>> UM, THE REDUCTIONS IN POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED UM, AND THAT COUNCILOR MURPHY. >> WAS MENTIONING EARLIER AH. >> FOR. THE SCHOOL. YEAR 2627 YEAR THAT WILL START IN SEPTEMBER. SO THEN PEOPLE SHOULD STILL BE
WORRIED ABOUT LOSING THEIR POSITIONS BECAUSE IN A FEW MONTHS THOSE CUTS ARE GOING TO IMPACT. YES OKAY SO THEN THEN THAT IS TRUE. YES OKAY THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. >> SO COUNCILOR MURPHY THANK
YOU. SAVE ME SOME TIME. >> BECAUSE THAT. >> WAS MY FIRST ONE. UM JUST. >> FOR YOU TO CLARIFY THAT MORE BECAUSE I KNOW IT GETS CONFUSING TO PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT THE YEAR'S ME AND WHEN YOU SAY THE, UM, LAYOFFS AND LIKE
FIRING AREN'T GOING TO HAPPEN, ALL WE'RE SAYING IS WE'RE NOT GOING TO CURRENTLY TELL A TEACHER WHO'S IN A POSITION YOU CAN'T FINISH OUT YOUR CONTRACT BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY SIGNED IT. SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR TO
THOSE TUNING IN THE THERE IS NO WAY WE COULD FIRE PEOPLE MID-YEAR. WE'RE JUST SAYING WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO HIRE YOU UP TO MAYBE 400 POSITIONS WILL NOT COME BACK IN SEPTEMBER. THAT'S CORRECT. >> RIGHT.
UM OKAY. AND SO BUT THE ALSO THE BUDGET SHORTFALL A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IS ALSO CURRENTLY SO YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THE
EXEMPTIONS BUT THERE'S OTHER CUTS THAT WILL HAPPEN. SO IF YOU COULD JUST GO MORE INTO WHAT DOES AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN YOU SAY STIPENDS
BECAUSE STIPENDS FOR DIFFERENT SCHOOLS AND DIFFERENT. PRINCIPALS CAN. MEAN A. LOT FOR MANY SCHOOLS IT'S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WHICH IS NECESSARY ESPECIALLY IF WE WANT THE INCLUSION ROLL OUT TO
BE SUCCESSFUL FOR OUR STUDENTS AND OUR TEACHERS. IT'S NOT EVEN THOUGH I'M A BIG PROPONENT OF FIELD TRIPS, IT'S NOT JUST THIS IDEA THAT STIPENDS ARE JUST FOR FIELD TRIPS THOUGH OF COURSE MANY TIMES IT'S BEFORE AND AFTER
SCHOOL PROGRAMING. IT'S TUTORING FOR STUDENTS HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL DAY. IF TEACHERS ARE WORKING DURING THEIR FREE LUNCH PD WHICH I HOPE THEY DON'T UM THAT THEY'RE BEING. COMPENSATED WHICH THEY SHOULD
AND NOW PRINCIPALS ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES TO STUDENTS IF THEY CAN'T CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SO HAVE DO WE HAVE A LIST OF SCHOOL BY SCHOOL WHICH
STIPENDS THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO NOW CONTINUE TO PROVIDE BECAUSE THAT DIRECTLY CORRELATES TO LIKE A SERVICE TO US? UM, I REALLY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE QUESTION. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CLARIFY THIS.
SO ANY STIPENDS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED BEFORE. THE DATE? UH, SO BEFORE 1231. 25 WILL. BE CONTINUE TO BE PAID AND BE PAID OUT IN FULL. SO IF A SCHOOL SET UP A.
TUTORING PROGRAM FOR THE YEAR THAT. MET ON SATURDAYS, SOME SCHOOLS DO SATURDAY ACADEMIES AND THEY. SUBMITTED PAPERWORK TO THE. CENTRAL OFFICE IN AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER AND SAID UM, YOU.
KNOW, THESE FIVE TEACHERS ARE GOING TO RUN A. SATURDAY ACADEMY FOR THE REST. >> OF THE YEAR THROUGH JUNE. THAT IS GOING TO CONTINUE. >> TO. BE HONORED. >> AND PAID. WHAT IF THEY WROTE IT THOUGH BECAUSE MANY PRINCIPALS DON'T FILE EVERYTHING AT THE BEGINNING LIKE WE DON'T FILE
ALL OF OUR HEARING ORDERS IN JANUARY WE KIND OF SPREAD THEM OUT. SO MANY PRINCIPALS SAY WELL I DIDN'T FINISH FILING OUT MY STIPENDS LIKE WE HAVE A SECOND ROUND. DIFFERENT TEACHERS WANT TO
PARTICIPATE. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S REALLY ACCURATE TO SAY THAT MOST PRINCIPALS ON I BET BECAUSE I'M HEARING FROM A LOT OF PRINCIPALS HAD I KNOWN THAT WE NEEDED TO JUST PUT IT ALL IN AT ONCE. YEAH.
>> I MEAN IT IS. >> IT IS REALLY. DIFFICULT RIGHT THAT UM. THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT. >> WE ARE GOING TO STOP. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WE WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE DONE.
UM BUT ANY COMMITMENT THAT HAS BEEN. MADE THROUGH OUR. PROCESS WILL. >> BE HONORED. SO IF A IF A SCHOOL HAS ISSUED THE STIPEND RIGHT WE WILL CONTINUE TO HONOR THAT. UM.
BUT MANY STAFF MEMBERS WERE TOLD BY THEIR PRINCIPAL THEY WERE PROMISED THAT POSITION. THEY WEREN'T WORRYING HOW THEY WERE GETTING PAID. THEY WERE TOLD LIKE YOU WILL BE NOW THEY'RE BEING TOLD YOU NO
LONGER CAN BE LIKE YOU MENTIONED MAYBE THE SATURDAY TUTOR OR THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM BECAUSE I CAN NO LONGER PROVIDE THAT SERVICE. SO IT IS IMPACTING STAFF FOR
SURE CONTINUING OUT THE YEAR UM CONTRACT SPENDING IT CAME. UP A FEW TIMES ALREADY AND OUR WAYS AND MEANS HEARING I KNOW THAT LIKE MANY OF OUR UM RELATED SERVICES THROUGH OUR
CONTRACTED THROUGH EASTERSEALS IS THAT ONE OF OUR CONTRACTS THAT WILL BE STOPPED PAYING OUT ? NO. >> THAT WILL CONTINUE. CAN YOU LIST THE CONTRACTS THAT WILL NO LONGER BE FUNDED
THROUGH THIS SCHOOL YEAR? SO IT WOULD ONLY BE A THE. ONLY CONTRACTS THAT WOULD BE PAUSED WOULD BE. UM SORT OF NEW CONTRACTS THAT HADN'T ALREADY BEEN ISSUED.
SO COULD YOU SHARE LIKE 4 OR 5 CONTRACTS THAT WE PAY OUT. AND SO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THESE CONTRACTS ARE. UH THE THE. TRICKY THING IS. UM, THE CONTRACTS I LIST WOULD
BE THE. >> ONES. WE HAVE AND THOSE WILL CONTINUE TO BE PAID. UM. BUT THERE MUST BE CONTRACTS THAT WERE ABOUT TO BE SIGNED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE COST SAVINGS THAT'S WHY YOU.
CUT THEM, RIGHT? WHICH ONES WERE NOT SIGNED YET? SO I THINK THE CHALLENGING THING IS MOST OF OUR CONTRACTS ARE SIGNED FOR THE FULL SCHOOL YEAR. RIGHT. >> AND SO HOW MUCH COST SAVING
DID WE GET BY. ? NOT BY STOPPING ALL. CONTRACT SPENDING THROUGHOUT. >> THE YEAR I CAN PULL THAT NUMBER. OKAY. AND WHILE YOU'RE PULLING THAT UP, UM I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT
I GET THE MANAGEMENT OF POSITIONS BASED ON THE FEBRUARY SEPTEMBER ENROLLMENT. ONCE YOU. ACTUALLY KNOW. HOW MANY STUDENTS THERE CAN BE AN ADJUSTMENT BUT THE IEP REVIEW TO ENSURE APPROPRIATE
ASSIGNMENT AND YOU LISTED. THE COSTS RELATED WHY WOULD THAT EVER CHANGE? AREN'T WE ALWAYS PROVIDING ALL OF THE FULL SERVICES ON AN IEP ?
SO THERE SHOULD NEVER NEED TO BE A REVIEW OF ALL OUR IEPS AND THEN FIND THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE NOT SPENDING APPROPRIATELY PROVIDING THESE SERVICES. I THINK IT'S. ALWAYS UM.
WORTH DOING A REVIEW. >> I THINK THE. THING WE WERE. CONFIRMING AND DOUBLE CHECKING. IS TO ENSURE THAT. UM, YOU KNOW, AS THE YEAR. GOES. >> UH, STUDENT MIGHT HAVE A REVAL. >> ON. THEIR IEP AND SERVICES. >> MIGHT CHANGE. RIGHT. AND THAT THOSE STAFF.
OR SERVICES ARE APPROPRIATELY BEING. REASSIGNED TO OTHER STUDENTS WHO NEED THEM. SO FOR EXAMPLE, A STUDENT WITH A 1. >> TO 1 PARAPROFESSIONAL. >> WHO MAY NO LONGER NEED IT ACCORDING TO. THAT I THEIR IEP. THAT 1 TO 1 SHOULD BE ASSIGNED
TO A DIFFERENT STUDENT EVEN IN THE. >> MIDDLE. OF THE YEAR. I KNOW YOU WERE LOOKING THAT UP. I'M OUT OF TIME. I WILL GO. TO MY. >> SECOND ROUND BECAUSE I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN WHY WE WENT 8 MILLION MORE DOLLARS IN TRANSPORTATION, BUT THAT'S A DIFFERENT QUESTION.
>> THANK YOU. I'LL WAIT FOR MY NEXT ROUND. THANK YOU. MR BLOOM. DID YOU FIND THAT. ONCE YOU FIND IT. >> YES, I KNOW IT'S IN PROGRESS. OKAY. >> THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
UM, COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES. >> THANK YOU. MADAM CHAIR IS FACING A NUMBER OF ENORMOUS STRUCTURAL ISSUES SUCH AS, UM, AGING SCHOOL
BUILDINGS, UM, DECLINING ENROLLMENT, LITTLE RECOVERY FROM COVID ERA LEARNING. UM, WE HAVE A DEFICIT NOW WHAT ? DAVID, WHAT CAUSED THE DEFICIT
WAS THAT, UM, UNEXPECTED UM, BILLS THAT CAME UM, NOT ABLE TO PREDICT UH, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN OR WAS IT MISMANAGEMENT? UM, I THINK SO.
OUR OUR. OVERRUN CAME FROM A COUPLE OF FACTORS. SO THE FIRST WAS HEALTH. INSURANCE COSTS COMING IN HIGHER THAN EXPECTED. UM, THERE WERE A FEW THINGS. >> THAT HAPPENED THERE.
FIRST, THE UM RATE INCREASE. THAT WE ULTIMATELY ENDED UP PAYING PER EMPLOYEE. UH. >> WAS HIGHER THAN WE HAD EXPECTED AS WE WENT THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS. UH, THE SECOND THING THAT HAPPENED WAS. MORE OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
AS A PERCENTAGE. ARE USING OUR HEALTH. INSURANCE THAN HAVE. HISTORICALLY AND. FINALLY. >> UM, THE TOTAL. NUMBER OF. STAFF UH INCREASED.
UH OUR VACANCY RATE WENT DOWN RIGHT. SO OUR OUR. STAFF OUR STAFFING RATE INCREASED. DESPITE OVERALL PROJECTING. A ROUGHLY. FLAT NUMBER. >> OF.
POSITIONS AND SO THAT HAD AN IMPACT BOTH ON UM SALARIES WHICH. >> IS ONE OF THE. OTHER ITEMS THAT YOU'LL. SEE BUT ALSO. UM HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS. >> ALL RIGHT. LET ME GO TO HEALTH INSURANCE. WE HAD A HEARING HERE THE OTHER
DAY OR MAN MEDITERRANEE WAS HERE AND THAT'S WHAT HE TALKED ABOUT. UH, MOST OF THE TIME WAS THE WAS THE COST OF HEALTH CARE FOR CITY EMPLOYEES. I'LL JUST GIVE ME A QUICK NUMBER.
HOW MUCH ARE WE SPENDING ON, UH, BP'S EMPLOYEES THIS YEAR FOR, UM, HEALTH CARE COSTS. APPROXIMATELY $151 MILLION. HOW MUCH SHOULD WE SPEND LAST. THE LAST YEAR? THE PREVIOUS.
YEAR I. WILL CONFIRM. UH, BUT IT WAS PROBABLY MORE LIKE US. 35 134 AND WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? LET ME. GET YOU THE BETTER NUMBER. THOUGH, OKAY. >> WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SPEND?
WHAT ARE YOU PROJECTING? WE'RE GOING TO SPEND THIS THIS NEXT YEAR. UM. OUR UPCOMING. YEAR NUMBER IS.
UH, PROJECTED TO BE JUST OVER. 168,000,001 68 SO ALMOST ALMOST GOING UP $20 MILLION. ARE WE SPENDING MONEY? UM, ARE WE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY ON WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS?
UM, THAT. IS I. SO YOU'RE RIGHT TO THE EDGE. OF MY UNDERSTANDING. BUT YES, MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE ARE SPENDING A LOT. OF MONEY ON THOSE. >> DRUGS SO THAT THAT $20,000,020 MILLION A GOOD PORTION OF THAT IS WEIGHT LOSS
DRUGS. THIS IS WHERE. I'M NOT. AS FAMILIAR. >> WITH THE DETAILS OF THE EXACT EXPENDITURES, BUT I HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE THAT A SIGNIFICANT. PROPORTION OF. IT IS. >> ON THE WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS. YES. OKAY. >> UM. >> THERE WAS SOME SPECULATION
THAT A DROP IN STATE AID CAUSED BY BP'S DECLINING ENROLLMENT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FY 26 DEFICIT. IS THAT TRUE? THE CURRENT YEAR DEFICIT.
WAS NOT, UH, DIRECTLY CAUSED BY A DROP IN STATE AID. BECAUSE OUR GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATION IS APPROPRIATED. BY THIS COUNCIL. UM, ANNUALLY AND IS NOT DIRECTED.
DOES NOT. CHANGE IF THE A DAY. CHANGES IT WOULD. IMPACT THE. CITY'S GENERAL FUND BALANCE. OVERALL, BUT. >> IT WOULD. NOT DIRECTLY. IMPACT THE CITY OR THE SCHOOL UH, DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET. OKAY.
>> THE IN DECEMBER 2025 THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE UM OFFICIALS IN BP'S IN CITY HALL WERE AWARE OF THE OVERSPENDING UM SO I'M
JUST TRYING TO GET MY THE DATES ACCURATE. THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE SAID THE FY 26 DEFICIT WAS AROUND 50 MILLION AND THEN OF 49 MILLION
AND THEN IN JANUARY 29TH SEVERAL WEEKS LATER THEY SAID IT WAS 53 MILLION. SO ABOUT A $4 MILLION INCREASE. HOW DID IT INCREASE? UM SO MUCH SO FAST.
UM I THINK IT'S. UH $4 MILLION. IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. THAT'S A THAT'S A LONG. IT'S BEEN ABOUT IT WAS A MONTH DIFFERENCE. A MONTH. YEAH OKAY. IT WAS THE. >> DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR UM. OCTOBER PROJECTIONS AND OUR. NOVEMBER PROJECTIONS.
UM, AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT HAPPENED WAS OUR. OUR RUN RATE ON. SPENDING FOR STAFF, UM, INCREASED. SLIGHTLY UM, AS SCHOOLS SORT OF FINALIZED SOME ADDITIONAL HIRING.
UM. >> AND WE ENDED UP HIRING SOME MORE SUBSTITUTES, UH. >> IN LONG. TERM POSITIONS THAN WE HAD IN THE PRIOR MONTH. UH, IT IS NOT NECESSARILY UNUSUAL FOR US TO SEE. THAT VARIATION.
IN JANUARY FROM DECEMBER. >> TO JANUARY 1ST YEAR. WHAT IS. UNUSUAL IS. UM. >> THE THE DEFICIT THAT IS BUILDING UPON. WHY IS OUR TRANSPORTATION COST GOING UP SO FAST? SO OUR.
TRANSPORTATION COSTS ARE GOING. >> UP FOR A FEW REASONS. ONE IS OF COURSE. THE OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT WITH THE BUS DRIVERS WHICH DOES. UH HAVE A UM A COST AS WELL AS SORT OF PAYMENTS WE'RE MAKING TO EXTERNAL.
CONTRACTORS FOR OTHER WORK. UM, BUT ONE. >> OF THE. OTHER SIGNIFICANT COSTS IS UM THE COST OF ON-TIME PERFORMANCE. RIGHT. >> SO UH, THE MORE. ROUTES YOU RUN THE.
BETTER THE ON-TIME PERFORMANCES THAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE. AND SO THERE IS A BALANCE OF COST EFFECTIVENESS AND ON-TIME PERFORMANCE THAT WE'RE. MANAGING EVERY YEAR. THE FINAL THING I WOULD JUST. >> SAY FOR TRANSPORTATION. IS THE NUMBER OF.
1 TO 1. UH UM. PARAPROFESSIONAL OR SORRY MONITORS AND. >> THE AMOUNT OF STUDENTS ON. >> DOOR TO DOOR. CONTINUES TO. INCREASE BOTH IN AND IN. PRIVATE AND CHARTER SCHOOLS WHO WE ALSO PROVIDE.
TRANSPORTATION FOR THEM. THANK YOU DAVID. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO ALSO. >> NOTE THAT WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNSELOR CULPEPER. UM AND DAVID BEFORE I GO TO THE NEXT UH, CO-SPONSOR JUST FOR
THE RECORD AGAIN, CAN YOU JUST TELL US WHAT THE ENTIRE OPERATING BUDGET IS FOR DPS? SURE. AND THEN I ALSO WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO AND UH, FOR THE RECORD,
THE EXEMPTIONS THAT YOU LISTED UM, IN YOUR PRESENTATION UM, IS THAT FOR ALL UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR OR JUST THIS PARTICULAR YEAR? SO UH. THOSE ARE UM I'LL GO IN REVERSE
ORDER. >> SO THE EXEMPTIONS I LISTED ARE EXEMPTIONS TO THE. CURRENT YEAR PAUSE. THOSE THINGS ARE THEN CONTINUING. >> FOR NEXT YEAR. SO THOSE ARE. ALLOWABLE SPENDING FOR. NEXT YEAR WHEN THERE IS NO.
PAUSE PLANNED. UM SO JUST SO THAT I UNDERSTAND THESE EXEMPTIONS WILL ALWAYS BE EXEMPTIONS. THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR AND EVERY UPCOMING YEAR OR JUST THIS
YEAR. THEY ARE. >> EXEMPTIONS TO THE CURRENT YEAR PAUSE. SO NEXT YEAR THESE WILL NO LONGER BE EFFECTIVE. BECAUSE YES THEY WILL NO LONGER BE EXEMPTIONS BECAUSE THEY WILL BE. STANDARD SPENDING.
OKAY SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT. WE SHOULD NOT. >> HAVE. TO WORRY. >> OKAY GREAT THANK YOU. BUT CAN YOU TELL US THE AND. THEN THE UM UH. THE CURRENT APPROPRIATION. UH WHICH MAY. BE OFF VERY SLIGHTLY BECAUSE WE
HAVE A COLLECTIVE. BARGAINING SUPPLEMENTAL STILL IN PROCESS. IS UH. ONE JUST OVER $1.6 BILLION. 1.6 BILLION. >> 1.6 BILLION. >> YES. IS THE TOTAL BUDGET OF OUR DPS. YES. >> THAT'S UH THE OPERATING
BUDGET. UM, THERE'S ALSO GRANT FUNDING . WELL. >> AND HOW MUCH IS THE GRANT FUNDING? UM GRANT FUNDING IS. CURRENTLY AT ABOUT. $130 MILLION. >> OKAY. >> SO CAN YOU GIVE ME THE TOTAL OF THE. SURE. SO OUR CURRENT BUDGET.
INCLUSIVE OF THAT IS JUST SHY OF 1.8 BILLION 1.77. SO ALMOST 2 BILLION IF WE WANT TO ROUND IT UP FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE NOT GOOD WITH MATH RIGHT. IT'S ALMOST 2 BILLION. >> ALMOST $2 BILLION FOR EPS.
SURE. BUT YOU. OKAY GREAT. >> THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. UM, I'LL GO TO THE THIRD CO-SPONSOR COUNSELOR FITZGERALD ,YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES. THANK YOU. >> CHAIR, AND HOPEFULLY. >> WE WON'T. >> HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ROUNDING
UP BECAUSE ALL OF THE STUDENTS THAT GROW UP IN BOSTON WILL BE GREAT AT MATH IN THE FUTURE. AND SO WE. WANT TO WITH THE EXCEPTION. >> OF. UM, I APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTION AROUND UH, THE EXEMPTIONS BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS ABOUT YES, THAT'S FOR
THIS CURRENT YEAR BUT WHAT ABOUT GOING FORWARD? UH, I HOPE THAT THOSE EXEMPTIONS DO NOT HAVE TO EXIST BECAUSE THEY'RE PART OF THE STANDARD SPENDING THAT'S GREAT IN THE INCLUSION MODEL. TALK TO ME ABOUT HOW THIS
AFFECTS AND I UNDERSTAND THAT AND YOU PROBABLY HAVE A T GENTLE SORT OF UNDERSTANDING OF THIS I HOPE YOU CAN ANSWER BUT I'LL DO MY. BEST WITH THE WITH THE POTENTIAL PAUSES CUTS THINGS
OF THAT NATURE AND HOW IT AFFECTS THE CLASSROOM AND THE TEACHERS PARENTS AIDES IN THE CLASSROOM. WHAT ARE WE EXPECTED TO SEE IN A GENERAL ED CLASS AND ANY OTHER TYPE OF CLASS THAT UH I
KNOW SCHOOLS PROVIDE DIFFERENT ONES SO UH. >> BUT WHAT WHAT. WHAT IS THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IN THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR? UH, SO. UM.
,I THINK IT'S GOING. TO ANSWER WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. >> IN THE. UPCOMING BUDGET. >> YEAR IS GOING TO VARY SIGNIFICANTLY. BY SCHOOL. OKAY. WE HAVE SOME SCHOOLS THAT DO UH ,SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF CO-TEACHING. UM. >> WE. HAVE OTHER SCHOOLS THAT. HAVE MORE OF A WHAT.
>> WE WOULD CALL. >> LIKE A. RESOURCE INCLUSION MODEL WHERE. STUDENT WHERE TEACHERS ARE PUSHING. IN OR PULLING STUDENTS OUT AND THEIR BUDGET. IT VARIES A. LOT BASED ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. UM IN THE SCHOOL.
A SCHOOL WITH A RELATIVELY SMALLER NUMBER OF STUDENTS. >> WITH DISABILITIES. IS MORE LIKELY TO DO THE SORT OF PUSH IN. >> OR PULL OUT MODEL WHEREAS SCHOOLS WITH MUCH HIGHER LEVELS . >> ARE. DOING MUCH MORE CO-TEACHING UM ,BECAUSE THEY HAVE THAT HIGHER LEVEL OF LEAD. OKAY.
>> SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BODIES IN THE CLASSROOM, UM, JUST FOR INSTANCE I YEAH I GOT A SON THIRD GRADE GOING INTO FOURTH GRADE UM I ASSUME IT'S A UH AN
INCLUSION CLASSROOM. THERE WOULD BE. ONE ONE TEACHER ONE PARA. UH OR WELL. >> SO AND I UNDERSTAND LET ME. JUST LET ME GET THE GRADES RIGHT BECAUSE THE. >> OUR ROLL OUT IS GOING. >> UP TO FOURTH GRADE NOW. SO YOU SAID THIRD GRADE INTO
FOURTH. >> SO I CAN I CAN ANSWER OKAY SO IN FIFTH. AND SIXTH GRADE NEXT YEAR THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO GRADES IN THE. OLD MODEL OF THE. DEFAULT BEING A TEACHER IN PARA THERE A NUMBER OF SCHOOLS STILL
. ALREADY HAD. >> OTHER MODELS. THAT THEY WERE USING. UM OVERALL THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS AND PARAS WERE PLANNING TO. UM EMPLOY. AS A RATIO TO THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS. RIGHT IS.
ABOUT THE SAME. WHAT THAT. >> MEANS THOUGH BECAUSE WE HAVE ENROLLMENT. DECLINES, THERE ARE GOING TO BE FEWER TEACHERS AND. PARAPROFESSIONALS THAN THERE WERE. . >> WHAT THAT THEN. LOOKS LIKE FROM YOUR SON'S EXPERIENCE OR ANY ANY. INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE.
WILL VARY A LOT BY. SCHOOL ONE THAT SCHOOL'S PARTICULAR SITUATION. WE HAVE SOME SCHOOLS THAT. ARE BUILDING INCLUSION AND ARE. ADDING STAFF RIGHT.
>> THEY'RE ADDING TEACHERS. THEY'RE ADDING PARAPROFESSIONALS. >> WE HAVE A NEW. TYPE OF. PARAPROFESSIONAL WE DESIGNED WITH THE TEACHERS UNION THAT ARE GETTING ADDED. UM, WE HAVE OTHER SCHOOLS. THAT ARE SERVING FEWER STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES OR FEWER
STUDENTS OVERALL AND ARE HAVING TO REDESIGN. THEIR MODELS. AND THEN WE HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS THAT ARE IN A VERY SIMILAR EXPERIENCE. SO WITHOUT COMMENTING ON AN INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL, UH. I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A VERY
UNSATISFYING. ANSWER WHICH IS. >> THAT IT VARIES A LOT. UM. >> BUT OVERALL WE'RE SEEING. MORE INVESTMENT IN INCLUSION AS A DISTRICT. UM, AS. WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS. I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING TO
REITERATE THERE IS THAT BECAUSE SOMETIMES PARENTS HERE WE'RE GOING TO BE LOSING PARIS, RIGHT ? RIGHT. AND THE GENERAL PERCEPTION NOW IS WAIT YOU'RE ROLLING OUT MORE INCLUSION. YEAH. >> AND WE'RE TAKING AWAY
PATTERNS. AND THAT'S THE FEAR RIGHT THAT WE'VE SEEN IN A LOT OF. PARENTS THAT RIGHT NOW. BUT SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO DENOTE THE FACT THAT IT'S BECAUSE OF IN A SCHOOL WITH DECLINING
ENROLLMENT RIGHT BECAUSE OF THE RATIO YOU WILL BE LOSING PARIS HOWEVER IT STILL SHOULD BE THE SAME EDUCATION PROVIDED AND THEY SAY UH AND. >> IT COULD BE THAT MAYBE YOU'LL GET AN ADDITIONAL TEACHER.
INSTEAD RIGHT. BECAUSE YOUR SCHOOLS MODEL. >> IS CHANGING SLIGHTLY. IT COULD BE THERE ARE FEWER STUDENTS. >> WHO HAVE WHO. >> NEED THOSE SERVICES. IT WILL REALLY VARY BASED. >> ON THE SCHOOL AND THE EXPERIENCE IN THAT SCHOOL. DO WE HAVE ANY INDICATION OF UH
ENROLLMENT FOR COMING YEARS OR PROJECTIONS OUT OF WHAT WE THINK IT MAY BE AND HOW DOES THAT UH HOW DOES THAT LOOK WITH OUR I DON'T THINK THIS WILL BE THE ONLY YEAR AS A AS A BUDGET ISSUE. RIGHT.
AND SO TO UNDERSTAND WELL NOW IF WE START TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT AT ANY POINT AND WE. ARE SHORT STAFFED AND WE HAVE TO ADD TO IT GIVEN THE FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS HOW WE ADD LIKE THE LONG TERM PLAN I GUESS
IS WHAT I'M SORT OF YEAH. SO SO. LONG TERM BOSTON HAS A. STRUCTURAL ENROLLMENT DEFICIT. WE HAVE SMALLER THERE ARE FEWER CHILDREN BEING BORN TO RESIDENTS. >> OF BOSTON.
EVERY YEAR AND. >> WE. HAVE SMALLER GROUPS. OF THOSE STUDENTS THAT ARE MOVING THROUGH THE SYSTEM. THIS HAS BEEN. TRUE FOR THE AMOUNT BASICALLY MY ENTIRE.
TENURE OF A DECADE. WHAT HAS OCCASIONALLY MASKED THAT. TRUTH IS IMMIGRATION, RIGHT? STUDENTS MOVING TO BOSTON. FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE. COUNTRY AND WORLD. WHAT WE'VE SEEN.
RECENTLY IS A CHANGE IN UM. STUDENT EXPERIENCE AROUND IMMIGRATION. SHALL WE SAY AND UH. THEREFORE A REDUCTION. >> IN THE NUMBER OF. NEW KIDS WE'RE SEEING. RIGHT. AND SO. >> THE STRUCTURAL DEFICIT THAT
HAS HAD AND CONTINUES TO HAVE IS SHOWING. >> UP MORE IN THE DATA. RIGHT? SO WITHOUT NEW IMMIGRATION OR. SOMETHING THAT. >> WOULD CHANGE ABOUT. OUR RESIDENT BIRTH RATE, WE WOULD EXPECT. >> TO SEE CONTINUED DECLINING ENROLLMENT IN DPS.
GOTCHA. >> UH WELL I DID MY PART ADDING THREE I'M DONE THERE. >> UH I. CAN I CAN GET. >> TO TWO. YEAH, PLEASE. IT'S ENOUGH. UM, CHAIR, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. UM, JUST SO THAT BEFORE I MOVE
ON, JUST FOR FLAHERTY, UM. SO MOST OF THE BUDGET CUTS ARE GOING TO BE, UH, WITH THE PARAPROFESSIONALS AND THAT I'M CURIOUS HOW MUCH MONEY HAVE YOU TRIMMED OFF ESSENTIAL STAFF. SURE. >> UM.
YOU JUST PULL THAT UP QUICKLY. UM. SO WE'RE DOWN ABOUT. 150, UM.
FULL TIME EQUIVALENT CENTRAL STAFF. CAN YOU GIVE ME A DOLLAR AMOUNT? UH. >> I WANT THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS FOR BOTH. HOW MUCH MONEY WERE. UH. >> IN CENTRAL STAFF AND HOW MUCH MONEY?
UH, FOR SUPPORT SERVICE STAFF? I MIGHT HAVE TO COME. OKAY. >> COME TO YOU FOR. >> THAT ONE. OKAY, SO. TODAY DURING. MY TIME TOGETHER I GET MY TEAM WORKING. OKAY, GREAT. >> THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. ALL RIGHT, SO I'M GOING TO MOVE
ON NOW UM TO MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL UM WE ARE GOING TO GO TO COUNSELOR PRABANG FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT BREADON UH
THEN COUNSELOR UH LOUIJEUNE UH THEN WEBER RURAL AND CULPEPER JUST SO THAT YOU KNOW THE ORDER THAT YOU'RE GOING TO COME IN SO COUNCIL PREPPING YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES AND WE'LL DO A SECOND ROUND IF NEED BE.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. UM, THANK YOU. >> SO MUCH TO THE PANELISTS FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND SUCH AN IMPORTANT DISCUSSION INVOLVING OUR BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I'M KIND OF PIGGYBACKING ON COUNCILOR FITZGERALD'S POINT
ABOUT UM, DAVID, YOU MENTIONED THE CONSISTENT UM, DECREASE. >> IN NUMBER OF. STUDENTS GOING TO BE AND THE FACT THAT SO MANY OF THE NEW STUDENTS ARE IMMIGRANTS UM, THEY'RE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. I WANTED TO ASK HOW ARE YOU
GUYS INCORPORATING THAT INTO YOUR STRUCTURES IN TERMS OF INVESTMENT IN BUDGET PRIORITIES WHEN THE NEW STUDENTS ARE COMING INTO MAY NEED FURTHER LANGUAGE RESOURCES
AND MAKING SURE THAT THE CLASSROOMS ARE SET UP FOR FOR THEM UM AND THEN ALSO IN TERMS OF LESS NUMBERS COMING INTO BHP'S, HOW DOES THAT GO INTO YOUR LONG TERM FACILITIES PLAN
IN TERMS OF MERGERS AND IN SMALLER SCHOOLS AND JUST I WANT TO KNOW HOW ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING AT THAT IN TALKING TO LONG TERM SKILL? UM SO. UH FIRST FOR YOUR.
QUESTION ABOUT. SUPPORTS FOR UM OUR IMMIGRANT YOUTH. AND OTHER BILINGUAL STUDENTS WHO ARE IN. >> OUR SCHOOLS. UM WE ARE EXPANDING. UM. >> OUR DUAL. LANGUAGE PROGRAMING. WE'RE ADDING THE NEW UM CAPE
VERDEAN CREOLE DUAL LANGUAGE UH PROGRAM AT THE NEW FREDERICK. UH MERGE. >> FROM. THE CLAPP. >> AND THE WINTHROP. AND WE'RE CONTINUING EXPANSIONS AT SCHOOLS LIKE THE BLACKSTONE. UM AND OTHERS UH, MORE. >> A LITTLE BIT MORE
TECHNICALLY EACH YEAR OUR. OFFICE OF MULTILINGUAL MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION. REVIEWS EACH. SCHOOL'S PLAN TO. PROVIDE SUPPORTS TO THOSE STUDENTS. AND MAKE. >> SURE WE HAVE SUFFICIENT STAFFING. ONE CHANGE. IN OUR NEW FUNDING FORMULA. >> FOR NEXT YEAR IS.
THAT WE ACTUALLY. UH, RATHER. >> THAN THE WORLD WHERE WE HAD A. >> PER PUPIL ALLOCATION, WE. NOW ACTUALLY JUST. UH REVIEW USE. BASICALLY OMB'S DATA ON WHAT SCHOOLS NEED. UM AND THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT
WE ALLOCATE TO SCHOOLS FOR THAT. UM SORRY REMIND ME QUICKLY YOUR SECOND QUESTION. LONG TERM FACILITIES. YES. >> UM SO WE. NEED TO DO SOME ADDITIONAL DATA ANALYSIS ON THE UM IMPACT
OF THIS MOST RECENT. UM. >> UH, ENROLLMENT REDUCTION ON THE LONG TERM FACILITIES PLAN, I THINK TO COUNCILOR FITZGERALD'S. POINT FROM EARLIER. THE THE. DIFFICULTY THERE IS.
THOSE DECISIONS. ARE A LOT HARDER TO. UNDO IF. IF WE END. >> UP. REDUCING CAPACITY IN A HIGH SCHOOL AND. >> THEN IN THREE YEARS WE. SEE MORE STUDENTS COMING, WE CAN HIRE MORE. STAFF IN THREE YEARS IF. WE'VE IF WE'VE CLOSED A
BUILDING. IT'S A LOT HARDER TO SORT OF RESTART. AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO BE MUCH MORE THOROUGH IN OUR. ANALYSIS OF THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF THE LONG TERM FACILITIES PLAN, UM, REDUCTIONS.
AND SO I THINK. THERE WILL BE MORE. ANALYSIS UPCOMING UH, FROM THE TEAM THAT WORKS ON THAT. OKAY. >> LET'S GO. AND I BRING THAT UP BECAUSE I'VE I'VE SEEN AN EXAMPLE OF MERGER IN MY DISTRICT ALREADY WHERE THE SUMNER IN THE PHILBROOK BECAME THE NEW SARA
ROBERT SCHOOL. AND IT'S I MEAN IT'S A BIG SCHOOL AND AND PEOPLE LOVE IT SO I JUST UM I JUST THAT FOR ME IS AN EXAMPLE OF A MERGER BUT I WANTED TO SEE AN A BIGGER. PICTURE CITYWIDE. WHAT ARE. >> YOU GUYS WE'RE THINKING
ABOUT SOMETIME? I WOULD LOVE TO STAY UP TO DATE ON WHAT YOU GUYS PUT. >> OUT THERE. OF COURSE. UM AND THEN ON THE SECOND TOPIC I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT SPECIFICALLY ATHLETICS TRANSPORTATION. UM TRANSPORTATION IS ALWAYS
SOMETHING I FOCUS ON. I KNOW THE BUDGET IS. IMMENSE AND UM I HAVE ISSUES WITH TRANSDEV NOT NECESSARILY TRANSPORTATION. SHOUT OUT TO DAN. UM I WANTED TO ASK YOU HOW DO
YOU GUYS PRIORITIZE OR LOOK AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS THAT ARE CURRENTLY STRUGGLING WITH GETTING ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE I MEAN, I JUST KNOW I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK WHERE I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM THE SCHOOL THAT
THEIR MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALL TEAM SEASON HAD TO BE SUSPENDED BASICALLY BECAUSE OF LACK OF TRANSPORTATION. . AND THAT TO ME IS CONCERNING AS SOMEONE THAT REALLY BENEFITED
FROM POLITICS AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE RECEIVING PROPER TRANSPORTATION. OKAY, SO I'M NOT. FAMILIAR WITH THAT. >> ONE. IN PARTICULAR, BUT I. DO KNOW THAT THIS. RESOLVING THIS ISSUE
OF ATHLETICS TRANSPORTATION HAS. BEEN A PRIORITY FOR THE DISTRICT. UM, WE DID. WORK UH. EXTENSIVELY ON A PROCESS TO HAVE MORE BACK. UP TRANSPORTATION. BECAUSE YOU. >> KNOW, PER OUR CONTRACT.
>> WE WANT THE. PRIORITY TO BE FOR OUR UH. UNIONIZED UH, DRIVERS THROUGH TRANSDEV. UM, BUT HAVING ADDITIONAL BACKUP UH, OUTSIDE TRANSPORTATION VENDORS
AVAILABLE UM, AS NEEDED. UM, SO I KNOW I. >> KNOW THE TEAM IS. WORKING DEEPLY ON THAT. I'M NOT. FAMILIAR WITH THE MOST RECENT ISSUE AND. I WILL. >> DEFINITELY GET BACK TO YOU. >> ON THAT. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND I COULD SHARE THAT WITH YOU. UM, PLEASE. THAT'LL BE VERY HELPFUL TO GET SOME INSIGHT AS TO WHAT
HAPPENED THERE. BUT UM, I JUST CONTINUED TO BE A TOPIC AND AGAIN RUNNING THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT IS SOMETHING I DO NOT ENVY. UH, IT'S IT'S IT IS A BIG HURDLE FOR THAT TEAM.
BUT, UM, WE WOULD LOVE TO BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION TO HELP. JUST MAKE THE SITUATION BETTER FOR THOSE THAT DEPEND ON THE BUSSES. MOVING FORWARD. SO THANK YOU DAN. THAT'S IT FOR ME MADAM CHAIR. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONTINUED
CONVERSATION. PERFECT GRANT UM. YEAH THAT'S IMPRESSIVE. I NEED. EVERYBODY TO LISTEN. GOOD JOB. UM SO DAVID, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT QUESTION. I'M CURIOUS ABOUT I'M. >> GOING TO ALWAYS ASK.
THE NUMBERS FOR. THE ATHLETICS UH, BUDGET. FOR UM, TRANSPORTATION. CAN YOU TELL US WHAT. >> THAT IS? BECAUSE THAT IS I SEE THAT AS A SERVICE. .
>> OF COURSE. THAT IMPACTS THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF STUDENTS. IT'S NOT JUST THE CHAMPIONSHIPS BUT. IT DOES A LOT AND SO OUR KIDS CAN'T GET TO THEIR GAMES THAT'S THAT'S RUNNING.
YEAH. >> SO OUR UM. OUR STANDING BUDGET LINE FOR. >> IT'S ABOUT. $40,000 SO NOT VERY MUCH BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS OVER THE. COURSE OF THE YEAR. FOR THE SEASON OR FOR THE. >> YEAR. FOR THE. >> YEAR FOR. ALL RIGHT.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS OVER THE. COURSE OF THE YEAR IS AS WE ARRANGE FOR MORE TRIPS, MORE MONEY GETS TRANSFERRED. INTO THE LINE FROM FROM VARIOUS OTHER PLACES AS WE. MAKE MORE PLANS. SO I'LL HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK
THAT. I THINK POTENTIALLY WHAT'S HAPPENED IS SOME OF THE COSTS HAVE BEEN ROLLED INTO THE MAIN TRANSIT LINE VERSUS THE ACCOUNT THAT I CAN SEE BECAUSE THAT NUMBER DOESN'T. MAKE THAT.
NUMBER SEEMS WRONG. ESPECIALLY IF THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN WORKING ON TRYING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. >> I WANT THAT FEELS WRONG. THAT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT TO ME. SO WHY DON'T WE JUST PUT THAT. AND PUT THAT ON. MY LIST OF THINGS. >> I ALWAYS BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET TO. ME I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO I
WANT ANSWERS TO ALL OF. THOSE QUESTIONS THAT I. SAW OKAY. ALL RIGHT SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO UH COUNSELOR COUNCIL PRESIDENT BREADON YOU NOW HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. UM IT'S WHERE DO WE START? UM. >> I THE BILINGUAL EDUCATION UM ,I SEE IN THE PROJECTIONS THAT THERE'S.
A TALK ABOUT LIKE A 70 LIKE REDUCING BY LIKE 77 TEACHERS. IS THAT AM I CORRECT ENOUGH? IT'S IN THE 70S AND WE SAID ABOUT UM YOU KNOW, GIVEN THAT WE HAVE SO MANY ENGLISH
LANGUAGE LEARNERS, IT SEEMS REALLY COUNTERINTUITIVE THAT WE ARE REDUCING OUR BILINGUAL EDUCATION TEACHERS. UM, I THINK UM I HAVE GREAT
RESPECT AND AND REALLY UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF ESL BUT YOU'RE IF YOU'RE TRYING TO TEACH STUDENTS ACADEMIC MATERIAL, UH, HOW AM I GOING TO
BE DELIVERED IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE IS DEFINITELY PREFERABLE TO MAYBE STRUGGLING IF YOU HAVE LIMITED ENGLISH SKILLS UM, TO STRUGGLING TO
UNDERSTAND COMPLEX ACADEMIC MATERIAL IF ENGLISH IS NOT YOUR FIRST LANGUAGE. SO I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO TRY AND UNDERSTAND YOU KNOW, I THINK WE THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATHWATER WAY BACK
WHEN WE ABANDONED BILINGUAL EDUCATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. BUT UH, IT SEEMS LIKE DUAL LANGUAGE TEACHER DUAL LANGUAGE SETTINGS ARE BASICALLY SORT OF THE CADILLAC VERSION OF IT.
AND UH, NOT ONLY SHOULD WE THINKING ABOUT THE COST OF SOMETHING BUT ALSO HOW MUCH VALUE ARE WE GETTING FOR A BANG FOR OUR BUCK? UH AND GIVEN THAT WE HAVE SUCH
A DIVERSE STUDENT, UH, COMMUNITY FROM ALL OVER UM, I IS A WHERE ARE WE THINKING IN THAT? ARE WE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF KIDS AREN'T GRADUATING FROM
SCHOOL, UH, FROM HIGH SCHOOL WITH UM WITH THE REQUIRED UH, CREDENTIALS CERTIFICATES OR WHATEVER TO BE ABLE TO FIND WORK OR GO TO COLLEGE AND BE
SUCCESSFUL, THEN WE MIGHT AS WELL ALL JUST GO HOME AT THIS POINT. YEAH. >> SO UM I REALLY APPRECIATE. THAT AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE DISTRICT IS COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO EXPAND THROUGH DUAL LANGUAGE. UH, COURSEWORK AND.
WE'RE CONTINUING TO INCREASE POSITIONS IN THAT PART OF THE 77 POSITIONS YOU REFERENCED, ABOUT HALF OF THEM. THAT ARE. >> BEING. REDUCED ARE COMING FROM UM, REDUCTION IN CAPACITY FOR OUR STUDENTS. >> WITH. LIMITED OR INTERRUPTED FORMAL.
EDUCATION UH PROGRAM. SO THAT'S. >> ABOUT 30. UM IN THE MID 30S OF THAT REDUCTION. THE REASON. FOR THAT REDUCTION IS ESSENTIALLY. WE HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDED UM.
THIS PROGRAM. UM DURING UH. THE AMOUNT OF IMMIGRATION WE SAW IN THE LAST. ADMINISTRATION AND WE EFFECTIVELY. >> JUST DON'T HAVE ANY WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STUDENTS TO MAINTAIN THE PROGRAMING.
UM, SO IN SOME SCHOOLS THAT MEANS CLOSING THE PROGRAM. ENTIRELY AND. KEEPING A DIFFERENT. >> OPTION IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. OTHER SCHOOLS IT MEANS REDUCING. AND REPRIORITIZING TO OTHER PROGRAMS. >> SO ABOUT HALF OF THE 77 REDUCTION IS. FROM THAT.
THE OTHER 30. SOMETHING IS COMING FROM A REDUCTION IN ESL STAFFING. THIS IS ALSO TIED TO A REDUCTION IN THE AMOUNT OF ME THE NUMBER OF. STUDENTS WHO. ARE REQUIRING ESL SERVICES.
ABOUT A THIRD OF THAT. REDUCTION IS COMING FROM CLOSED SCHOOLS. SO ABOUT. 13 STAFF. OF THE. >> 30 SOMETHING AND I'LL GET MY EXACT. NUMBER FOR YOU. UM, ARE COMING FROM UH EITHER. >> THE DENVER OR EXCEL.
UM OR ANOTHER SCHOOL THAT IS CLOSED. UM OR IS. CLOSING GRADES UM AND SO THAT LEAVES YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE IN THE MID. 20S IN TERMS. >> OF THE. NUMBER OF ESL STAFF WE ARE. REDUCING BASED PURELY ON THE. NUMBER OF STUDENTS WE'RE SEEING.
IN DISTRICT. HOW MANY ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS TO HAVE ACROSS THE SYSTEM. UH, FOR. ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL. I'LL HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT NUMBER. I THINK.
IT'S BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE IT DOESN'T SEEM TO MAKE SENSE TO ME. AND YOU MAYBE YOU KNOW, I I TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT, BUT. UH. >> BE GIVEN THAT ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, UH, ARE
CONSISTENTLY THE STUDENTS THAT REALLY DON'T ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, IT SEEMS COUNTERINTUITIVE THAT WE SHOULD BE REDUCING THE TEACHERS WHO WOULD BE BEST EQUIPPED TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE
THE SYSTEM. UM, AND THEN BACK ON TO SOMETHING ELSE. TRANSPORTATION IS AN UNMITIGATED DISASTER. UH. >> WE SPEND $200 MILLION ON GETTING KIDS. I HAVE ONE PARTICULAR SCHOOL IN
OUR IN MY DISTRICT I'M NOT SOME BRIGHTON KIDS LIKE 5 TO 7 DAYS. THE KIDS ARE ARRIVING. THEY'RE ARRIVING LATE. UM, THEY'RE BEING PICKED UP LATE. SO THIS, UH WHAT DOES AN
ON-TIME PERFORMANCE THE INCREASE, YOU KNOW, ARE WE THE INCREASED COST ON TIME PERFORMANCE? UH, HOW HOW ARE WE MEASURING THAT? BECAUSE I DON'T SEE AN IMPROVEMENT IN PERFORMANCE. IT'S LIKE.
UH. >> WE HAVE WE HAVE TEACHERS WHO HAVE TO STAY TILL 630 IN THE EVENING WITH KIDS TO LEAVE SCHOOL OR 3 OR 3 HOURS LATE FOR BEING PICKED UP AND PARENTS ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING THEIR JOBS
BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO LEAVE THEIR JOB SCHOOL AND PICK THEIR KIDS UP. UM I REALLY SYMPATHIZE WITH THIS AS A PARENT MYSELF WITH UH YEAH, I KNOW THAT SCHOOL UM I
THINK YOU KNOW, ON-TIME PERFORMANCE IF WE LOOK AT THE DATA ON THE THE NUMBER UH, THE ON-TIME PERFORMANCE RATES ON-TIME PERFORMANCE IS DEFINITELY IMPROVED FROM PAST YEARS. IS IT WHERE WE WANT IT TO BE
ULTIMATELY, NO. I'M SURE WE ALWAYS WANT IT TO BE BETTER. UM, AND I THINK IN PARTICULAR THE CHALLENGE AS YOU'VE HIGHLIGHTED PERFECTLY COUNCILOR IT'S IT'S NOT EVENLY SPREAD. THE ISSUES WITH ON-TIME
PERFORMANCE ARE NOT EVENLY SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM, RIGHT. THEY'RE OFTEN CONCENTRATED IN CERTAIN ROUTES THAT ARE HARD TO MANAGE AND UM, SOMEONE WHO HAS
TO DRIVE HOME AT, YOU KNOW, 430 TO 530 EVERY DAY THROUGH BOSTON TRAFFIC. IT'S TALKING ABOUT UNMITIGATED DISASTERS. UH, THAT DRIVE IS CHAOS. BUT UM, I THINK WE ARE WORKING
REALLY HARD TO USE THE DATA WE'RE GETTING FROM ROUTING FROM ZOOM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IMPROVING ON-TIME PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVING OUR OUR ROUTING. UM, GIVEN THE COMPLEXITY
OF NEEDS AND I THINK ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE'RE WORKING ON IS ALSO JUST LETTING FAMILIES KNOW WHEN THEY HAVE GOOD OPTIONS CLOSER TO HOME. UM, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE THE MAIN THE MAIN THING WE'RE
PAYING FOR IS GETTING KIDS TO SCHOOL RIGHT. AND SO IF WE CAN GET SCHOOL KIDS AND HIGHER QUALITY HIGH QUALITY OPTIONS THAT ARE CLOSER TO HOME, THEN WE SAVE MONEY ON TRANSPORTATION AND WE MAKE
FAMILIES HAPPIER. SO UM THAT IS ALSO A KEY PART OF OUR STRATEGY AROUND THIS. IT'S NOT JUST IMPROVING THE DRIVING OF THE BUSSES. IT'S ALSO UH THE ASSIGNMENT OF STUDENTS AND THE CREATION
OF IEPS AND EVERY OTHER STEP IN THE PROCESS. OKAY, MY. >> TIME'S UP. SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU. UM, AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, CAN YOU TELL US HOW MUCH IS THE
TRANSPORTATION BUDGET? I THINK YOU SHOULD BY NOW SEE THE PATTERN HERE EVERY TIME SOMEONE ASKS, YOU KNOW. YOU SHOULD GET READY TO GO OVER THE QUESTION THAT I'M GOING TO FOLLOW UP. SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU YOU KNOW THAT'S COMING. DEFINITELY SOUNDS LIKE A THEME
OKAY. AND I'M GOING TO WHILE YOU LOOK FOR THAT I'M GOING TO MOVE ON TO UH COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE YOU NOW HAVE. >> THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. CHAIR. UM, I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW. >> UP ON A QUESTION. I GUESS, UM, I JUST WANT TO SAY
THANK YOU BECAUSE I KNOW LAST TWO YEARS I'VE BEEN A BIG, BIG ADVOCATE FOR SKY FUNDING FOR THOSE CLASSROOM STUDENTS WITH LIMITED OR INTERRUPTED FUNDING BECAUSE OF WHAT WE SAW HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THOSE ARE COMING IN AND I
HAD THE SAME QUESTION AS COUNCILOR BREADON DID WHEN SHE ASKED ABOUT UM. ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. BUT WE HAVE SEEN A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN OUR STUDENTS USING AND NEEDING LIFE, WHICH IS WHY
THAT WELL IT'S NOT A BUDGET ASK OF MINE THIS YEAR BECAUSE THE NEED I WAS AT MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THIS MORNING IN MATTAPAN WHERE YOU ACTUALLY SAW SLIDE CLASSROOMS A LOT OF THEM CATERING TO STUDENTS FROM
AUSTIN BRIGHTON BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF AND BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF SAFE CLASSROOMS AROUND THE CITY AND BECAUSE OF THE WORK OF THE DISTRICT, WE SAW MORE SAFE CLASSROOMS AROUND. BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT ACCOUNTS FOR SOME OF THE
DECREASE IN OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER POSITIONS. I JUST UM ONE FINAL QUESTION IS IS SOME OF THAT THE THE THE BUDGET CUTS SPECIFICALLY ANY
ALLOW OR ANY OF THOSE BEING MOVED TO DIFFERENT LINE ITEMS? YES. >> UM SOME OF THE UH SO SOME OF THE POSITIONS ARE UM RECODED. SO I THINK THE UM TOTAL NUMBER
IN. >> A WHOLE YEAR I'VE GOT THIS. UM THE. TOTAL NUMBER I BELIEVE IN OUR BUDGET DOCUMENTS WAS UM 110 POSITIONS THAT ARE NO LONGER
CODED TO BILINGUAL EDUCATION TEACHER UM THE. BUT SO YEAH, BECAUSE OF THE RECORDING THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT SO. THE 77 THE COUNSELOR BREADON REFERENCE WAS THE IS THE TRUE
REDUCTION. YEAH SO THE REMAINING 33 WERE THE RECODING UM AND SO UH THAT THEN IS SORT OF THE MAIN
CORRELATION. SO 30 FEWER UH ESL TEACHERS, 33 LESS TEACHERS IN LIFE AND THEN A FEW OTHER TEACHERS IN SMALL. HOW MANY HOW MANY REDUCTION AND SO WHAT IS A REDUCTION IN LIFE? 33 OKAY. THANK YOU.
>> UM, UH A QUESTION REGARDING WITH RESPECT TO THE SCHOOL FORMULA. THE NEW REIMAGINING SCHOOLS FUNDING UM FORMULA ALLOWS IT KIND OF HOLDS BACK SOME MONEY FOR MORE SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS
FOR IT TO PROVIDE FOR TRANSITION FUNDING FOR SOME OF UH SCHOOLS WITH THE GREATEST LOSSES. WHAT IS A PLAN AFTER THE TWO YEARS OF THE TRANSITION FUNDING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT JUST LIKE MOMENTARILY TRYING TO
STAVE OFF DESTABILIZATION IN SOME OF THESE MORE STRUGGLING SCHOOLS? YEAH. >> SO UM I'VE. >> I'VE BEEN LIKE SOLVING THE UNDERLYING. YEAH, I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IN THIS BUDGET IS THE CYCLE OF NOT DOING THAT LAST TIME. YEAH.
RIGHT. UM SO I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT. WELL I'LL SAY IS THE SCHOOLS RECEIVING TRANSITION FUNDING ARE LIMITED TO A VERY SELECT
NUMBER OF SCHOOLS THAT NEED A VERY SPECIFIC FUNDING LIKE THE FUNDING IS THERE FOR A VERY SPECIFIC REASON TIED TO SOMETHING THAT IS LIMITED BY TIME.
SO UM AN EASY EXAMPLE FOR ME TO GIVE IS UM THE FREDERICK UH MERGE FREDERICK SCHOOL UM, HAS TRANSITION FUNDING TO KEEP TWO FAMILY LIAISONS ONE FROM THE
ONE FROM THE WINTHROP WHERE TYPICALLY THEY WOULD ONLY HAVE ONE BECAUSE WE UH ONE PER SCHOOL. THE REASON FOR THAT IS OBVIOUSLY THE MERGER WORK IS NOT JUST COMPLETE IN THIS BUDGET PROCESS. RIGHT.
SO THEY WANTED A SECOND YEAR WITH THAT POSITION TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT THE FAMILIES ARE YOU KNOW, UNDER FOR WORKING THROUGH THE TRANSITION, KNOW THE NEW PLACE TO GO TO SCHOOL ARE GETTING USED TO THE
ROUTINES OF THE NEW BUILDING, UM AND ALL OF THAT BUT IT IS A TEMPORARY SUPPORT AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS BE VERY CLEAR BOTH IN OUR PUBLIC DOCUMENTS AND WITH THE COMMUNITIES ABOUT THIS IS THE
TEMPORARY SUPPORT YOU'RE RECEIVING. THIS IS WHY YOU'RE RECEIVING IT AND THEN THIS IS WHY IT WOULD BY. NOW THERE'S ONLY ONE SCHOOL I CAN THINK OF RIGHT NOW MAYBE A
SECOND THAT MIGHT BE IN LINE FOR A SECOND A YEAR OF TRANSITION SUPPORT AND THAT BASICALLY HAS TO DO WITH THAT SCHOOL'S ENROLLMENT CHANGING SO SIGNIFICANTLY AND OVER MULTIPLE
YEARS THAT UM, THEY MIGHT SEE A BIG ENOUGH ENROLLMENT DECLINE IN TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS TO NEED A SECOND YEAR OF TRANSITION SUPPORT. BUT FOR EVERY OTHER SCHOOL I WOULD THINK THAT ONE YEAR IS
GOING TO BE ALL THEY'RE GOING TO GO. AND CAN. >> YOU WHAT ARE THOSE TWO SCHOOLS. THE THE SCHOOL IN PARTICULAR I'M THINKING OF IS CHARLESTOWN HIGH SCHOOL OKAY. WHERE THEY'RE THEY HAVE A RELATIVELY SIGNIFICANT SENIOR CLASS.
RIGHT WITH A LOT OF NEEDS FOR LIKE ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSEWORK AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT TEACHERS NEED EARLY COLLEGE THEY HAVE AMAZING PROGRAMING BUT THEIR FRESHMAN CLASS IS SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER.
UM, UH, BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING WE'RE SEEING GOING ON. AND SO UH, FOR THIS UPCOMING. YEAR, CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT? EVERYTHING WE'RE SEEING GOING ON. WITH THE IMPACT OF FEDERAL POLICIES ON THE DISTRICT OKAY. I GET IT.
YEAH. YOU KNOW, THE CHARLESTOWN WAS A VERY WELCOMING PLACE FOR STUDENTS AND UM. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT. WE WERE TALKING AND SO NEXT YEAR THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A MUCH SMALLER FRESHMAN AND
SOPHOMORE CLASS THAN THEIR JUNIOR AND SENIOR CLASS. AND SO THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT ENROLLMENT CHANGE FOR THEM TO DEAL WITH IN ONE YEAR. UM, BUT THE PROBLEM FOR THEM IS THEY STILL HAVE THIS BIG SENIOR
CLASS AND A RELATIVELY LARGE JUNIOR CLASS AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO SEE ANOTHER ROUND OF SORT OF HAVING TO RESTRUCTURE AND RESIZE THEIR SCHOOL TO GET TO THE SMALLER LEVEL. AND SO THAT'S THE ONE PLACE WHERE I THINK THERE MAY BE SOME
NEED FOR A SECOND YEAR. BUT WE WON'T REALLY KNOW THAT UNTIL UH NEXT FALL WHEN WE SEE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE SCHOOL. THANK YOU. UM, WE'VE CITED ENROLLMENT
DECLINE AS THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF SOME OF THE STAFF REDUCTIONS. UM, CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH HOW THE NEW FUNDING FORMULA DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN, UM, DECLINING ENROLLMENT LOSS AND STUDENT NEED AND HOW YOU'RE
PREVENTING THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL? UH, LIKE A. YEAH. >> LIKE IT'S ALWAYS I MEAN, IT'S THE HARDEST POSSIBLE THING BECAUSE LIKE THE FEWER RESOURCES YOU PUT INTO A SCHOOL THE LESS ATTRACTIVE THEY ARE.
MAYBE THAT IS PART OF IN SOME WAY PART OF THE INTENT. I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT IS BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT LIKE IN THE CONVERSATION THAT BEN MENTIONED A VERY IMPORTANT ONE ABOUT MERGERS. CLOSURES.
>> ALL OF THAT THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. BUT WITHOUT INTENTIONALLY DOING THIS DOWNWARD SPIRAL INTERESTING. OUR OUR OUR NEW FUNDING FORMULA IS DESIGNED IN PART TO HELP
SOLVE THAT SPIRAL PROBLEM BY MAKING ALLOCATIONS FOR CORE STAFF SORT OF UM, FULLY FUNDED AND CHUNKIER. RIGHT. SO IN WEIGHTED STUDENT FUNDING YOU WOULD GET A PER PUPIL
ALLOCATION YOU WOULD NEED TO BUY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSROOM. TEACHERS AND. IF YOUR SCHOOL WAS UNDER 87.5% FOR THOSE CLASSROOM TEACHERS WOULDN'T BE FUNDED IF YOU IF YOU GOT AN ENROLLMENT DECLINE,
YOU MIGHT STILL NEED THE SAME NUMBER OF ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM TEACHERS. YOU'D HAVE LESS MONEY AND SO YOU'D END UP CUTTING ARTS, MUSIC, SOCIAL WORK ALL OF THOSE OTHER THINGS RIGHT? MAKE IT LESS ATTRACTIVE TO
FAMILIES. YOU SEE THAT CYCLE? UM, SO WHAT HAPPENS NOW IS THE FUNDING LEVEL IS MORE STABLE AS ENROLLMENT DECLINES AND THEN
SORT OF FALLS OFF IN CHUNKS AS YOU'RE ABLE TO RESTRUCTURE THE SCHOOL TO A SMALLER ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT. SO FOR EXAMPLE A SCHOOL THAT MIGHT BE GOING FROM THREE STRANDS DOWN TO TWO RIGHT FROM
SORT OF 75 STUDENTS PER GRADE TO 50, UM, THERE AND THEIR FUNDING WOULD SHRINK MUCH MORE SLOWLY IN OUR NEW FUNDING SYSTEM THAN IT WOULD IN THE WAY STUDENT FUNDING UNTIL THEY HIT THE THRESHOLD TO SHRINK THAT
INSTRUCTIONAL. BLOCK. >> THEN THEIR FUNDING WOULD DECREASE A BIT FASTER FOR ONE YEAR AS THEY REDUCE THAT STAFFING. THE THE DOWNSIDE OF THIS THE TRADE OFF WE'RE MAKING IS THAT
IT ACTUALLY MAKES SMALL SCHOOLS MORE EXPENSIVE. PER PUPIL. RIGHT? >> SMALL SCHOOLS ARE GENERALLY TEND TO. BE MORE BUT AND IT MAKES THEM EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE IN THIS NEW MODEL RIGHT. WHAT SORT OF HIGHLIGHTS THE
CHALLENGE OF DECLINING ENROLLMENT. MHM. >> BUT WITHOUT PENALIZING THE STUDENTS WHERE THAT IN THOSE SCHOOLS AND SO IT DOES THEN LIFT UP OUR NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT SMALL SCHOOLS THAT ARE REALLY EXPENSIVE.
UM WITHOUT TAKING AS MANY RESOURCES AWAY FROM THE STUDENTS IN. >> THOSE SCHOOLS. THANK YOU I HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS BUT I'LL WAIT TILL THE SECOND ROUND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE COUNCILOR WEBER, YOU NOW HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. >> CHAIR. >> UM.
>> JUST SORT OF DOVETAILING ON THAT FOR SO FOR ENROLLMENT I THINK UH, THE LAST ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS WERE TO BE RELATIVELY STABLE AND MAYBE BE
DOWN LIKE 3% BY 2030 AND THEN WE WERE DOWN 3000 STUDENTS IN ONE YEAR. SO I GUESS WHAT IS THE ENROLLMENT PROJECTION NOW OUT TO 2030 AND THEN HAVE WE CHANGED THE WAY WE'RE DOING
ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS. SO UM WE DEFINITELY NEED TO REVISIT. THAT UM TARGET AND THAT PATHWAY WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TO THAT YET. UM WHAT I WOULD SAY IS WE HAVE
NOT REDESIGNED OUR PROCESS FOR ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS, BUT WE CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE WE EXAMINE AND CORRECT ANY ISSUES WITH THAT. WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR WAS A
REAL UM, CHALLENGE OF TIMING. SO WE DID OUR ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS LAST YEAR FOR FOR THE CURRENT YEAR IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER OF 2024 RIGHT AROUND THE ELECTION.
UM AND WHAT WE HAD SEEN WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN IMMIGRANT AND MIGRANT YOUTH LEAD TO OUR ENROLLMENT STABILIZE. RIGHT. SO OUR ROLE HAD BEEN FLAT. THAT WAS OUR MOST RECENT DATA. SO OUR FIRST ROUND
OF PROJECTIONS DONE BEFORE THE ELECTION HAD OUR ROLE AND PROJECTION PRETTY FLAT. AND SO THE QUESTION BECOMES AFTER THE ELECTION WHAT WHAT DO WE DO RIGHT. AND THE THING THAT WE
ULTIMATELY DECIDED WAS WE COULDN'T REDUCE ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS AND THEREFORE SCHOOL BUDGETS AND PROGRAMS BASED ON THE SORT OF HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION OF WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
MIGHT DO IN THE FIRST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. IT TOOK A YEAR FOR US TO SEE AN ENROLLMENT IMPACT OF FEDERAL POLICY. IN HINDSIGHT, OBVIOUSLY IT DIDN'T TAKE THAT LONG THIS TIME
AROUND AND YOU KNOW, WE ENDED UP SPENDING A BUNCH OF MONEY IN CLASSROOMS AND SITUATIONS. THAT ULTIMATELY DIDN'T HAVE THE STUDENTS UM, BECAUSE OF FEDERAL IMMIGRATION POLICY. >> BUT UM.
I THINK ULTIMATELY THE DECISION WE MADE THERE TO MAINTAIN UH, THE STAFFING IN CASE OF STUDENTS CAME. WAS WAS THE RIGHT ONE AT THE TIME. OKAY. >> AND THEN UM, IN TERMS OF THE
NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, LIKE I GUESS I'M TRYING TO GET TO LIKE WHAT IMPACT DOES THIS BUDGET SHORTFALL HAVE ON THE PLANNING FOR FY 27 AND AND ONE THING I POINT TO IS UM, VACANCIES YOU
KNOW HOW MANY VACANCIES WERE ELIMINATED FOR EXAMPLE I THINK AND THE READING UH LINE ITEM FOR GENERAL GEN ED I THINK THAT'S READING SPECIALISTS I'M NOT SURE THERE WAS ABOUT 87
POSITIONS BUT IN F Y 26 THERE WERE ONLY LIKE 6566 OF THOSE THAT WERE FILLED. SO FOR FY 27 IT'S 62. UH SO WE'RE LOSING A COUPLE
OF POSITIONS BUT IT'S ALSO DOWN LIKE 20 PLUS POSITIONS I THINK CAN YOU JUST. AND YEAH. >> TO THE OVERALL POINT OF LIKE HOW THIS BUT THIS BUDGET SHORTFALL IS IMPACTING OUR PLANNING AND SO YOU TALKED ABOUT VACANCIES.
I THINK THERE THERE ARE TWO WAYS THE BUDGET SHORTFALL IMPACTS OUR PLANNING. SO ONE IS SO COUNCILOR FLYNN UH HAD ME WALK THROUGH THE HEALTH INSURANCE UM SPENDING RIGHT.
SO ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH OUR CURRENT BUDGET IS THAT FOR HEALTH INSURANCE WE UM. AND DO YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF THE VACANCIES YOU'VE ELIMINATED? UH. I DON'T HAVE A FULL NUMBER
OF VACANCIES THAT WERE ELIMINATED BECAUSE FOR MANY OF OUR VACANT POSITIONS WE ARE GOING TO SEE STAFF BUMP INTO THEM SO AT DIFFERENT POSITIONS GETTING ELIMINATED AND THEN YOU
KNOW, SORT OF THROUGH OUR UNION PROCESS SOMEONE ELSE IS GOING IN. UM, SO OUR BUDGET FOR HEALTH INSURANCE THIS YEAR WAS 134 MILLION RIGHT. OUR UH WE HAVE A CURRENT YEAR
DEFICIT AND THEN WE HAVE CONTINUED COST GROWTH FOR NEXT YEAR. SO OUR BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR IS 168 MILLION EVEN WITH SOME COST SAVING MEASURES. YEAH. >> SO WE'RE HAVING TO USE $34
MILLION UM OF PROPOSED NEW APPROPRIATION. >> TO. CORRECT OUR HEALTH INSURANCE BUDGET. SO WHILE THERE ISN'T A DIRECT IMPACT OF THE OVERSPENDING ON NEXT YEAR, IT IS SORT OF IT
REQUIRES US TO BUDGET MORE FOR A SINGLE ITEM. SO ESSENTIALLY HALF OF OUR PROPOSED BUDGET. INCREASE IS GOING JUST TO HEALTH INSURANCE. CAN I JUST SO WE HAD A HEARING
ON UH THERE'S USUALLY WE GO ABOUT $10 MILLION A YEAR IN CITYWIDE HEALTH CARE COSTS. NEXT YEAR WE'RE READY TO GO UP 80 MILLION. YOURS IS GOING UP 34 MILLION IS THERE I DON'T KNOW IS THERE
SOMETHING, UH, THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE HEALTH CARE THAT IS TO MAKE IT MORE EXPENSIVE? I MEAN, UH. >> I THINK THAT MIGHT BE ROUGHLY OUR PROPORTION OF IT. YEAH, I THINK THERE'S ABOUT 10,000 TO 20,000. OKAY.
SO IT MAY JUST BE ON A PROPORTION I JUST HAD UH UM JUST ANOTHER QUESTION WE COUNCILOR BREEDEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT, UH, MULTI-LANGUAGE LEARNERS AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, IN THE BUDGET BOOK TALKS ABOUT
THE OFFICE OF MULTILINGUAL MULTILINGUAL MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION AND AGAIN LIKE WELL, WE YOU KNOW, I THINK WE. ALL WANT TO SEE KIDS MULTI LANGUAGE LEARNERS SUCCEED THAT
THE NUMBER OF THAT OFFICE THE BUDGET AMOUNT IS GOING DOWN I THINK FROM ABOUT 5 TO 3 POINT 5 MILLION OR 2 UM AND THEY'RE
LOSING YOU KNOW 7 OR 8 FTES UH IS IS THAT THE IS THAT LIKE A CENTRAL BUDGET CUT THAT WE'RE MAKING FOR NEXT YEAR? DOES IT REFLECT ANY YOU KNOW THE SERVICES ARE GOING TO BE
ABLE TO PROVIDE TO ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS? YES. >> SO UM YEAH THAT IS SO THERE'S UH ENROLLMENT OR SORRY THERE IS UH UM FTE REDUCTION IN THAT OFFICE AS
PART OF OUR CENTRAL BUDGET UM CUT UM AND THEN A CORRESPONDING UM. A CORRESPONDING REDUCTION IN THE BUDGET UM AS A RESULT
OF THAT UM WE ALSO ARE. UM REVIEWING AND SORT. OF TRIMMING SOME OTHER NON PERSONNEL SPENDING UM AS WE TRY
AND SORT OF BRING COSTS INTO CONTROL SO. WE'RE YOU. KNOW THEY'RE THEY'RE THEY'RE CENTRAL OFFICE BUDGET IS UM UNDER REVIEW FOR REDUCTIONS SIMILAR TO.
OTHERS OKAY THANK YOU THANK YOU CHAIR. OKAY COUNSELOR UM I BELIEVE COUNSELOR F YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES AND THEN WILL BE COUNSELOR CULPEPER.
UH THANK YOU CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR THE PANEL FOR BEING HERE AND. WHEN UM OR YOU WROTE OUT. I THINK IT'S. 2 OR 3, UH. ROUNDS FOR.
UH, BALANCING THE BUDGET AND COST SAVINGS. WHAT IS A CURRENT COST SAVINGS FOR ROUND ONE? AND DO YOU HAVE PROJECTED OUT
WHAT EACH INITIATIVE OR UH, EACH STRATEGY COULD SAVE? YEAH. >> SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH UM EACH OF THE INITIATIVES RIGHT NOW.
SO UH WE STARTED WITH UH UM CENTRAL OFFICE REDUCTIONS. UM THOSE ARE UH. SMALLER BECAUSE MOST OF THE CENTRAL OFFICE BUDGET IS IN SERVICES DIRECTLY PROVIDED TO.
SCHOOLS AND. YOU JUST LIKE WHEN YOU SPEAK ON THAT CAN YOU TELL US LIKE WHAT WAS PROJECTED AND WHAT WAS ACTUALLY SAVED? YES. >> SO UM WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH OUR FINAL CALCULATIONS ON THE SAVINGS ON THE I DON'T HAVE A FULL I COULDN'T GIVE YOU
AN ITEMIZED LIST TODAY BUT UM OR TO GIVE YOU ONE AS SOON. AS POSSIBLE. ALL RIGHT. WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT FOR, UM, ALL THE INITIATIVES IN ROUND ONE AND TWO? UH, YES.
UH, YES, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO. YES. >> ALL RIGHT. UM, YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP AN EYE ON THAT JUST IN CASE THE COST SAVINGS DON'T HIT THE PROJECTED COST SAVINGS, UH
,THAT WE YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ANTICIPATING THEN HOPEFULLY THERE'S ANOTHER STRATEGY THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT. I APPRECIATE THAT, COUNSELOR. AND WE'LL CERTAINLY WORK TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE, A FULL UPDATE ON THE COST SAVINGS.
UM, HOW MANY VACANT POSITIONS DO WE HAVE NOW? DO WE HAVE THAT BROKEN OUT BY POSITION AND ALSO BASED ON SCHOOLS? UH LIKE LIKE HOW MANY VACANT POSITIONS NURSES, PARAPROFESSIONALS, TEACHERS I.
BELIEVE THAT IS ONE OF THE DATA POINTS WE'RE WORKING ON. UH, FOR YOUR RFI FOR. UM. >> LATER THIS WEEK, BUT I WILL I WILL. >> DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT. OKAY. UH, UM, ONE OF MY OTHER
QUESTIONS KIND OF GOES OFF OF WHAT, UH, COUNCIL PRESIDENT BREADON BROUGHT UP WAS WE HAVE A VERY DIVERSE, UH, STUDENT POPULATION AND OUR NEWER COHORTS OF TEACHERS HAVE BEEN
EXTREMELY DIVERSE WHEN IT COMES TO LIKE LAYOFFS. HOW HOW DO WE PLAN ON NAVIGATING, UH, LAYOFFS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT DIVERSITY STILL
EXISTS TO SUPPORT, UH, YES, DIVERSITY DIVERSE STUDENT POPULATION. SO I THINK. THE NUMBER ONE THING WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS. UM, YOU KNOW. KEEP AS MANY OF OUR EDUCATORS
AS WE CAN FIND A PLACEMENT FOR. SO THAT WOULD INCLUDE. SORT OF. >> FINDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEACHERS AND PARAPROFESSIONALS AT OTHER SCHOOLS. SO OUR OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES HAS BEEN WORKING WITH
EACH SCHOOL LEADER TO UNDERSTAND SORT OF THE STRENGTHS OF EACH UH, EMPLOYEE WHO'S IMPACTED AND THEN LOOKING AT ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE REGION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UM, SO THAT UH IDENTIFY SORT OF AVAILABLE JOBS, UM, AS THEY COME UP BUT. BLESS YOU BLESS YOU. AND THANK YOU. UM, WHEN IT COMES TO LIKE BIG
DRIVERS FOR COST YOU KNOW YOU MENTIONED HEALTHCARE ALSO TRANSPORTATION WHAT HAS CHANGED ? UM, IS IT MOSTLY VOLUME PRICE
OR IS IT JUST PROJECTION LIKE BUDGETING. FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OR FOR OVERALL FOR ALL. OF THEM RIGHT. YEAH. >> SO FOR UM. TRANSPORTATION AND HEALTH INSURANCE.
IT'S BEEN. BOTH UM. VOLUME AND PRICE UM FOR UM.
UH THE UH PERSONNEL COSTS FOR STAFFING LEVELS THAT HAD MOSTLY TO DO WITH A REDUCTION IN OUR VACANCY RATE. SO WE DID A GOOD JOB HIRING, WHICH IS GREAT NEWS.
FOR THE KIDS AND BAD NEWS FOR ME TO MANAGE. BUT UM UH AND SO THAT EFFECTIVELY LEADS TO ADDITIONAL COSTS THERE AND THAT IS PART OF WHAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE HEALTH INSURANCE UM, OVERRUN UH
. FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION COSTS THAT'S MOSTLY ABOUT UH COST BUT THEN THERE IS SOME INCREASE IN SERVICES THAT WE ARE SEEING. >> AS WELL. ALL RIGHT. >> UM, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS
RIGHT NOW, CHAIR, UH, A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ASKED SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD PREPARED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. >> COUNCIL LAUREL I'M NOT GOING TO, UH, RESET MY TIMER AND COUNCILOR CULPEPER, YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU AND GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. AM TO 60 DAYS. UH. >> A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS WITH REGARD.
TO READING SUPPORTS AND YOU'VE. HEARD THE DISCUSSION ABOUT SUPPORT. FOR ENGLISH. LANGUAGE LEARNERS IN THE MATERIAL. >> IT TALKS ABOUT LITERACY AND
HOW URGENT. LITERACY IS. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE READING SUPPORTS UM. IT APPEARS THAT.
WELL CLOSE TO. 70 FTES OF BUDGETED IN FISCAL YEAR 26 FOR READING IN GENERAL ONLY 4647 WERE. FILLED BUT THE FISCAL.
YEAR 27 BUDGET SHOWS. >> THE LOSS OF. 2.8% FTE IN FISCAL 27.
YEAH, I'M NOT SURE THE UM UH. SO UH IT WASN'T ACTUALLY THAT 47 WERE FILLED. UM IT HAS TO DO THAT PART THAT. >> NUMBER. HAS TO DO WITH MORE OF THE FUNDING SOURCE UM CHANGING FOR
A NUMBER OF POSITIONS. SO UM, WE HAD A NUMBER OF READING POSITIONS THAT WERE INITIALLY FUNDED ON THE GENERAL FUND THAT ENDED UP BEING FUNDED BY GRANT FUNDS. SO UM, WHICH WITH THE. UH ABOUT.
UH 23 OF THEM. MOVED SO. OVERALL BUT HOW. MUCH HOW MUCH IN DOLLARS WAS. UH DOLLARS AND I. THINK ABOUT. 2.5 MILLION OKAY.
AND THAT WAS FOR THE 70 FTES. YEAH. >> SO OVERALL ACROSS ALL FUNDS . WE BUDGETED JUST OVER 72 POSITIONS RIGHT. UH AND THAT STAYED PRETTY CONSTANT THROUGH THE YEAR AND
NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. HAS UH 70 SO IT'S DOWN TWO AND A HALF. BUT IT SAYS ONLY 47 WERE FILLED . UM I'M NOT SURE WHERE THAT 48.
CAME FROM. THE UH FROM THAT THE SCHOOL BUDGET PROPOSAL THAT WAS SENT. >> TO THE COUNCIL. OKAY. I'LL HAVE. >> TO CHECK THAT FOR YOU AND GET IT BACK TO. >> YOU THEN IT SAYS THE FISCAL YEAR 27.
BUDGET SHOWS A LOSS OF. 2.8% FTE. OH YES 2.8 FTE SAYS YES RIGHT. AND SO IF THERE WERE.
5070 BUDGETED AND 47 WERE FILLED RIGHT. WHAT HAPPENED. TO THE OTHER 33? SO UH I APOLOGIZE I'M NOT. UM FAMILIAR WITH THAT
PARTICULAR NUMBER. I'LL LOOK IT OVER AND. GET BACK TO YOU FROM. FROM WHAT I'M LOOKING AT WE'VE UM WE'VE MAINTAINED THE SAME NUMBER OF POSITIONS IN THE BUDGET.
UM, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER THAT WERE FILLED IN FRONT OF ME, SO I'LL HAVE TO CONFIRM . OH, OKAY. WHAT I SEE. >> IS WE'RE WE'RE ONLY REDUCING THOSE 2.8. >> SO YOU SO YOU'RE SAYING YOU MAINTAIN THE 70 FTES?
YES ACROSS BOTH OF OUR FUNDING OUR FUNDING SOURCES? YES. BUT IT SAYS ONLY 4750 FTE EVES WERE FILLED. AND MY. QUESTION IS WHAT HAPPENED.
>> TO THE OTHER 33. UM I I. BECAUSE YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT ALL 70 WERE FILLED. I I APOLOGIZE I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY WERE FILLED. OKAY. UM THERE'S A. >> I'M GIVING YOU WHAT WHAT YOU
GAVE US THE 70 FTE WERE BUDGETED. YES, BUT ONLY 47 WERE FILLED. THE 33% THE 33 UNFILLED
POSITIONS WOULD. AMOUNT TO HOW MUCH? UM, SO. WHAT I. >> SEE WHEN I. >> LOOK. AT IT IS. 70 POSITIONS WERE BUDGETED UH FOR.
F ON THE 26 UH FOR FY 26 AND THEN 23 OF THOSE POSITIONS WERE MOVED TO EXTERNAL. FUNDS BUT WERE THAT. DOES NOT MEAN THEY WERE.
VACANT BUT IT SAYS ONLY 47 WERE FILLED. THAT MEANS THEY WERE VACANT BUT 33 WERE VACANT. UH AND UM SO. >> I'M JUST I'M JUST GIVING YOU WHAT WE GOT FROM YOU. ALL.
>> I'M JUST SAYING WHAT. HAPPENED TO. >> THE OTHER 33? I SO WHY DON'T WE DO THIS COUNCIL CULPEPPER THESE QUESTIONS. GET BACK OVER. YOU CAN'T GET BACK TO ME. THAT'S GOING TO PUT IT BACK. TO THAT OKAY?
OKAY. YEAH FOR SURE I WANT TO MAKE SURE I GET THIS. >> RIGHT RIGHT. UH. AND SO OBVIOUSLY. THERE'S GOING TO. >> BE A. >> CUT WITH. REGARD TO READING SUPPORTS RIGHT. ALTHOUGH WE.
UNDERSTAND THAT. IS. IN THE INFORMATION WE. RECEIVED WE SAID. THAT IT'S URGENT. AND THEN WHEN I LOOK AT THE
ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION AND THE STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THE ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION. PROGRAMS, ALTERNATIVE. SCHOOLS AND WITH ALTERNATIVE
PROGRAMS, IT SAYS THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE STEEP CUTS. CAN YOU TELL ME. WHAT THOSE STEEP CUTS ARE. FOR THE ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION
BUDGET? UM UM. WE HAD AN ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT WAS RUNNING AT EXCEL HIGH SCHOOL. AND WE'RE AT. >> EXCEL. HIGH SCHOOL. IS THAT THE COMMUNITY ACADEMY?
NO, THAT'S UH, SEPARATE FROM THE COMMUNITY ACADEMY. UM. >> THERE IS A REDUCTION UH, COMMUNITY UM. WE'LL GET TO THAT IN A MINUTE. NO. >> WE WON'T GET DOWN TO A MILLION BECAUSE YOU. FOR YOUR TIME WAS UP. ALL RIGHT? OKAY, OKAY. DON'T DON'T BUT.
LET ME JUST IF I COULD JUST IF. >> I COULD JUST THE. TIME WAS. UP FOR THE QUESTION. >> I. AND I WAS BEING. GRACIOUS BECAUSE. I KNOW BUT I'M GOOD I'M GOOD BUT WE. WE APPRECIATE YOU BUT YOU WILL ANSWER THAT QUESTION. >> YES ON THE.
THE SECOND ROUND. YES. >> THE ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION BUDGET THAT YOU'RE REFERENCING UM THE PROGRAM THAT'S BEING REDUCED THERE WITH ABOUT FIVE STAFF WAS A PROGRAM. I BELIEVE IT WAS CALLED I P UH
AT EXCEL HIGH. IN EXCEL. AND THAT THAT PROGRAM IS CLOSING ALONGSIDE THE CLOSURE. >> OF THE SCHOOL. UM, SO THAT IS THE REDUCTION IN THE ALTERNATIVE. EDUCATION BUDGET. >> I BELIEVE YOU'RE REFERENCING. CAN I JUST HAVE ONE QUICK REAL.
QUICK AND YOUR SECOND ROUND OKAY. YES YOU CAN SAVE THAT THOUGHT. THANK YOU MA'AM I. APPRECIATE IT. >> THANK YOU. >> ALL RIGHT DAVID I'M GOING TO GO TO MY QUESTIONS AND THEN WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS A
LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. INSTEAD OF GOING TO A SECOND ROUND WITH JUST YOU AT LIKE UH THE TWO PANELISTS TO DO THAT PRESENTATION AND THEN WE'LL DO A SECOND ROUND. THEIR FIRST ROUND.
IN YOUR SECOND ROUND TOGETHER. SO THEN THAT WAY WE CAN ALL LEARN TOGETHER. IS THAT. WHATEVER WORKSHEET HERE. THANK YOU. UM ALL. >> RIGHT SO THEN LET'S JUST DIVE RIGHT IN. DO YOU HAVE ANY UPDATES FOR ME? UM.
>> AND WHILE YOU HAVE I. >> HAVE. A FEW MORE QUESTIONS. >> THAT I WANT TO. I SORRY THE, UM THE NUMBER I HAVE SO FAR IS IS $2 MILLION FOR CONTRACT SAVINGS FROM CENTRAL REDUCTIONS, WHICH WAS COUNCILOR MURPHY'S QUESTION I
APOLOGIZE I UPDATE FOR YOU I AM WORKING ON THE CENTRAL STAFF REDUCTION UH NUMBER AS WELL BUT I DON'T WANT TO EAT INTO. YOUR TIME. >> SO THAT'S WHAT I MEANT. I WAITED TO GET MY TIME GO. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, SO, UM, THE.
APRIL 2025 UH. TRANSPORTATION REPORT THAT WAS RELEASED BY THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE SUPERINTENDENT, UM SKIPPER CLAIMED THAT IN THE LINE ITEM THAT THE REPORT PUT ON IN BOLD THAT THE NEW.
RIDERSHIP PROCEDURE WILL LEAD. TO OPERATIONAL AND COST EFFICIENCIES OF UH FOR THE 2025 2026 UM. YEAR BUDGET. HAS THAT HAPPENED?
I THINK WE HAVE SEEN SOME EFFICIENCIES UH. SOME LIKE WHAT SPECIFICALLY? >> SO I BELIEVE UH. WE HAVE THE NUMBER. WRONG BUT IT WAS EITHER 1000 OR 2000 STUDENTS.
ENDED UP UH WAS A REDUCTION IN RIDERSHIP BECAUSE THE STUDENTS WERE RIDING THE BUS. SO WITHOUT THOSE THE COSTS WOULD HAVE BEEN HIGHER. UM, I DON'T HAVE AN ESTIMATE FOR HOW MUCH HIGHER THEY WOULD
HAVE BEEN UM, WITH THOSE STUDENTS. UH. BUT THAT. WAS DEFINITELY MADE A DIFFERENCE. SO WHOEVER'S PAYING ATTENTION WILL COME BACK TO ME AND. GIVE ME. >> SOME SPECIFICS. >> CATEGORY UM, PROVIDES
ESTIMATES TO THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE FOR HOW MUCH NEW COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS WITH THEIR PUBLIC SECTOR UNIONS WILL COST OVER THE. LIFE OF THE CONTRACT. RIGHT. SO CAN. OFFICIALS BREAK.
DOWN HOW THE 17 MILLION AND OVERSPENDING ON SALARY AND BENEFITS UH, AS. >> A. PROPORTION BETWEEN ITS 14 DIFFERENT BARGAINING UNITS AND HOW SPENDING COMPARES TO THE
ESTIMATES PROVIDED AT THE TIME OF THE CONTRACTS WERE SETTLED BECAUSE I KNOW THOSE THINGS ARE STILL LOOMING AND THERE'S BEEN SOME, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT HOW THIS IS GOING TO IMPACT SO CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THAT IMPACT IS GOING TO BE? YES.
>> SO UM I DON'T TODAY HAVE THE 17 MILLION BROKEN OUT BY BARGAINING UNIT. UM BUT UM. BUT HOW ABOUT THIS OF THAT 17
MILLION WHICH UH SERVICES WILL BE IMPACTED. OR SUPPORTED. SO THERE WON'T BE ANY CHANGES TO UH SERVICES AS A RESULT OF THE 17 MILLION? IT'S JUST. >> GOING TO COST. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIND
SAVINGS ELSEWHERE TO BE ABLE. >> TO PAY FOR. >> IT. AND WE ARE GONNA FIND THAT ESSENTIAL STAFF. I MEAN, YEAH, THIS IS THIS IS THE YEAH THIS IS THE BIG PART. >> THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING. WE'RE GOING TO CUT ESSENTIAL STAFF. I HEAR YOU. UM, IS.
BOSTON PLANNING. >> ON SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION TO MISS BA'S. >> CORE PROGRAM? UM, THE NEW. >> SCHOOL. BUILDING PROGRAM IN 2026. UH. >> BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO. >> FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THIS MONEY RIGHT AND
WE'RE TRYING TO ALSO PROVIDE QUALITY INSTRUCTION AND THE BEST FACILITY. SO I'M JUST CURIOUS. I'M SORRY I'M NOT PRIVY TO THAT RIGHT NOW. OKAY OKAY. ALL RIGHT. >> SO THEN LET'S GO A LITTLE. >> BIT. BACK TO UM YOU KNOW SOME OF THE
QUESTIONS THAT I HAD UH DO YOU KNOW WHAT. >> THE TOTAL IS FOR. >> THE. TRANSPORTATION BUDGET FOR ATHLETICS? >> YOU SAID IT WAS 40,000. >> OKAY. I'M MEAN, I HAVE 40,000 IS THE NUMBER IN MY DOCUMENT. I THINK IT'S PROBABLY EMBEDDED IN THE TRANSDEV CONTRACT.
AND I'M GONNA NEED A LITTLE MORE TIME TO BREAK. THAT OUT FOR YOU. >> OKAY? BUT WE'LL GET IT FOR YOU. OKAY. >> AND DO. >> YOU. THINK THAT THERE IS A DISCREPANCY IN TERMS OF KIND OF WHAT GETS REPORTED PUBLICLY AND WHAT GETS SHARED. HERE, LIKE HOW CAN WE. STREAMLINE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE?
YEAH, THAT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING I'M DEFINITELY WORKING ON TO IMPROVE IT I THINK UH COUNCIL WELCOME THE ONLY SITTING RIGHT THERE SO I CAN THANK HIM DIRECTLY FOR HIS ADVOCACY AROUND THE BUDGET BOOK, WHICH IS DEFINITELY HELPED MAKE THINGS. UM.
>> MORE TRANSPARENT. UM, I THINK EACH YEAR WE'RE WORKING ON WHAT WE PUBLISH TO TRY AND MAKE IT CLEARER. AND MORE TRANSPARENT. I THINK SEPARATING OUT ATHLETIC TRANSPORTATION IS. CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE CAN DO BETTER. AND YEAH.
,AND IT WAS JUST. >> SOMETHING THAT YOU FOR LIKE. >> THE $53 MILLION WAS JUST LIKE DID YOU FORESEE THIS COMING? UM I MEAN. IT'S A BIG CHUNK OF CHANGE NOT
LIKE A LIKE. SO I'M. >> JUST CURIOUS HOW WE ENDED UP HERE. YEAH. >> IT'S, UM NOT WHILE I WAS BEFORE YOU LAST YEAR I THINK. UM. >> OVER THE SUMMER WE STARTED TO GET SOME. UM, OUR. FIRST ROUNDS OF HEALTH
INSURANCE COSTS COME IN. UM, AND THOSE NUMBERS WERE VERY CONCERNING. THEY WERE HIGHER. ,UH. >> SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER AS WE HAVE SEEN THAN. >> I EXPECTED. UM, AND SO WE WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED LOOKING AT THOSE. UH. >> HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH
OUR COLLEAGUES AT CITY HALL MAKING SURE THEY WERE ACCURATE . AND REFLECTIVE OF OUR OUR REAL CHALLENGES THOUGH IS IT'S VERY HARD FOR US TO GET AN ACCURATE SENSE OF SPENDING BEFORE THE
SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS. UM, BECAUSE HIRING IS HAPPENING RIGHT UP UNTIL. UM UH YEAH. I MEAN I WAS GONNA SAY SEPTEMBER AND I PAUSED TO THINK ABOUT. WHETHER IT WAS REALLY OCTOBER.
UM, AND A 1% CHANGE IN OUR UH, VACANCY RATE CAN HAVE A $1,215 MILLION SWING. ON OUR OVERALL BUDGET. RIGHT? SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FALL IS
REALLY WHEN IT BECAME MOST CLEAR THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE THIS CHALLENGE. UM, AND REALLY IT'S. UM THERE'S A NUMBER OF FACTORS WE MONITOR EVERY YEAR. SOME COME IN UNDER BUDGET, SOME COME IN OVER BUDGET AND
UNFORTUNATELY THIS YEAR WHAT WE FOUND IS SORT. OF EVERYTHING WE MONITOR IS COMING IN OVER OVER BUDGET. SO WE'RE RESETTING SOME OF OUR. ASSUMPTIONS FOR THE UPCOMING. SCHOOL YEAR. >> OKAY GREAT. >> AND I DON'T WANT TO EXTEND
MY TIME I WENT OVER UM SO I'D LIKE TO JUST KICK IT OVER TO OUR GUEST. UM WE HAVE TWO. PANELISTS WHO ARE JOINING. US TODAY UM, MARY TAYMOR AND
ROSS WILSON. UM, I WILL GIVE YOU EACH UM OR I'LL. LEAVE YOU GUYS. 20 MINUTES AS A TEAM. YEAH, IT'S VERY GENEROUS. I WAS JUST JOKING. YEAH, YEAH.
>> YOU EACH HAVE SEVEN MINUTES AS PANELISTS. BUT I FIGURED BY THE TIME THEY DID QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. BUT I WAS JUST JOKING. OH YEAH. >> SO SEVEN MINUTES. UM AND WE WE'LL START OFF WITH MARY. MARY, YOU HAVE SEVEN MINUTES.
THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER HERE AND UH GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCILORS. UM I'M HERE TODAY AS A FORMER MEMBER OF THE BOSTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE BUT ALSO AS SOMEONE WHO BELIEVES DEEPLY IN THE PROMISE OF BOSTON'S CHILDREN.
I'M A FORMER BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL PARENT, UM STUDENT AND LONGTIME ADVOCATE OF DPS AND PUBLIC EDUCATION AND I ATTENDED THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS DURING ONE OF THE. MOST DIFFICULT TIMES IN OUR
CITY'S HISTORY IN THE 1970S AS A CHILD FROM A LOW INCOME BILINGUAL HOME. SO I DEEPLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS POSSIBLE WHEN SCHOOLS WORK IN THE SERVICE OF CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. MY TENURE ON THE BOSTON SCHOOL
COMMITTEE ENDED IN 2014 AND IT IS HAS TO BE STATED PLAINLY STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN OUR CITY SCHOOLS IS WORSE TODAY THAN IT WAS 12 YEARS AGO AND THAT DECLINE HAS HAPPENED DESPITE
DRAMATICALLY HIGHER SPENDING AND STAFFING IN 2013 2014 THE BUDGET WAS 1.1 BILLION. ENROLLMENT WAS APPROXIMATELY 57,000 STUDENTS.
WE OPERATED 125 SCHOOLS WITH 7100 STAFF MEMBERS TODAY AND 2520 SORRY IN 2025 2026 THE BUDGET HAS GROWN TO. 1.5 BILLION. >> UH ENROLLMENT OR 1.6 AS WE
HEARD A FEW MINUTES AGO, ENROLLMENT HAS DROPPED TO 47,000 STUDENTS NEARLY 10,000 FEWER CHILDREN. WE OPERATE 119 SCHOOLS YET STAFFING HAS INCREASED TO 9400
EMPLOYEES. WE'RE SPENDING 400 MILLION MORE TO EDUCATE 10,000 FEWER STUDENTS WITH MORE STAFF AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF STUDENTS IN
OUR SCHOOLS FOR UM FOR OUR MOST . VULNERABLE STUDENTS THE STORY IS EVEN MORE TROUBLING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES ARE READING AND PERFORMING MATH IN THE SINGLE DIGITS.
MORE THAN 80% OF OUR BLACK AND BROWN STUDENTS ARE NOT READING ON GRADE LEVEL IN THIRD THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE. AND IN THE EIGHTH GRADE ONLY 9% OF ENGLISH LEARNERS ARE READING
ON GRADE LEVEL. THESE ARE NOT THE STATISTICS YOU'RE HEARING DISCUSSED AT SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETINGS OR IN SPEECHES THAT PURPORT TO SHARE THE TRUE STATE OF OUR SCHOOLS. WE CANNOT CALL THIS PROGRESS
AND WE CANNOT CALL THIS EQUITY. AND YET HALF OF THE SENIORS TODAY ARE NOT ON TRACK TO COMPLETE MASS CORE THE COURSEWORK REQUIRED FOR ADMISSION TO MASSACHUSETTS PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES. COMPLETION OF MASK CORE IS
CORRELATED WITH HIGHER RATES OF COLLEGE COMPLETION. OTHER GATEWAY CITIES LAWRENCE, SPRINGFIELD, NEW BEDFORD AMONG OTHERS HAVE REACHED 100% OF GRADUATES MEETING MASK STANDARDS.
WHY CAN'T BOSTON, DESPITE ITS CLAIMS TO HAVE MET THE BENCHMARKS REQUIRED BY THE STATE UNDER A MANDATED IMPROVEMENT PLAN TO AVOID DISTRICT WIDE RECEIVERSHIP? BOSTON HAD FIVE YEARS TO
PREPARE FOR THIS REQUIREMENT. BUT WE HAVE FAILED AND IT APPEARS THAT AT LEAST ONE THIRD OF SENIORS MAY GRADUATE THIS SPRING UNDER A WAIVER THAT WILL RENDER THEIR DIPLOMAS MEANINGLESS.
IF YOU ARE NOT AWARE, MASS POOR COMPLETION IS THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT FOR A STUDENT TO ATTEND A STATE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY, SO OUR DISTRICT HAS NOT PREPARED MINIMALLY ONE THIRD OF OUR STUDENTS TO EVEN
CONSIDER THAT OPTION. COMPLETING THIS CURRICULUM. UM AS THE GLOBE WROTE IN A RECENT EDITORIAL, HAVING A CONSISTENT, RIGOROUS STANDARD FOR COURSEWORK BENEFITS
STUDENTS BOSTON WITH FIVE YEARS TO PREPARE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BETTER KEEP ITS STUDENTS ON TRACK TO MEET THAT STANDARD. WHICH BRINGS ME TO THE CENTRAL ISSUE OF COMPREHENSIVE ALIGNMENT YOU ALIGN YOUR BUDGET TO YOUR GOALS.
THAT'S BASIC GOVERNANCE. IF YOUR GOAL IS LITERACY AND NUMERACY AND COLLEGE READINESS, YOUR BUDGET SHOULD CLEARLY AND TRANSPARENTLY REFLECT THOSE PRIORITIES BUT IS NOT TYING ITS BUDGET TO WHAT WILL ACTUALLY
MOVE STUDENTS FORWARD. HERE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT BOTH THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE AND THE CITY COUNCIL NEED TO ASK. WHAT DID WE SPEND MONEY ON LAST YEAR THAT DIDN'T WORK? HOW WILL WE SPEND THAT MONEY DIFFERENTLY THIS YEAR?
WHAT PROGRAMS ARE PRODUCING MEASURABLE GAINS IN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND WHICH ONES ARE NOT? WHAT ARE WE TRANSPARENTLY DOING DIFFERENTLY TO TURN AROUND A DIFFERENT A DISTRICT IN CRISIS
AND DECLINE? DOES THIS COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT HELP STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CAN WE AFFORD IT? WE ARE NOW FACING A BUDGET DEFICIT A FISCAL CLIFF THAT DID NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
IT'S THE RESULT OF POLICY CHOICES AND POOR PLANNING. THREE MONTHS INTO THIS SCHOOL YEAR LEADERSHIP KNEW WE WERE OVER BUDGET YET IT WAS NOT RAISED UNTIL DECEMBER. HOW OFTEN IS THE SCHOOL
COMMITTEE REVIEWING ACTUAL SPENDING VERSUS PROJECTIONS? WHERE IS THE ONGOING FISCAL OVERSIGHT? AND LET'S TALK ABOUT INVESTMENTS THE HUB SCHOOL MODEL IS IT WORKING OR ARE WE
SEEING INCREASED STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS IF CONTINUED INVESTMENT IS REQUESTED? WHERE IS THE DATA DEMONSTRATING RESULTS PARTNERSHIPS WHICH ONES ARE YIELDING MEASURABLE GAINS?
ARE WE CONTINUING PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE NOT BOOSTING STUDENT OUTCOMES ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS HOW MANY ARE WE OPERATING? CAN THEY BE STREAMLINED? MEL KING ACADEMY HAS ROUGHLY 80
STUDENTS AND 41 STAFF MEMBERS. PROFICIENCY IN READING AND MATH IS 0%. CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM IS ABOUT 60% ON MOST DAYS. THE BUILDING HAS HANDFULS
OF STUDENTS PRESENT. HOW DO WE JUSTIFY THAT LEVEL OF SPENDING $50 MILLION THIS YEAR WITHOUT. >> A. DEMONSTRABLE ACADEMIC RETURN? HIGH DOSAGE TUTORING HOW MANY SCHOOLS ARE ACTUALLY
IMPLEMENTING IT? IN WHICH GRADES? HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE BEING SERVED? WITH LITERACY RATES AS LOW AS BOSTON'S HIGH DOSAGE TUTORING SHOULD BE MANDATORY IN EVERY SINGLE BUILDING HIGH QUALITY
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS. CONTINUING CONTINUING THE USE OF FOCUS AS AN EARLY LITERACY PROGRAM IS NOTHING SHORT OF MALPRACTICE. IT IS NOT. >> A SKIM DESPITE THE FACT THAT
FAMILIES ARE BEING TOLD IT IS. IT IS NOT PEER REVIEWED AND IT IS DEFINITELY NOT HELPING BOSTON STUDENTS LEARN HOW TO READ THE NUMBERS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. WE'RE SPENDING MORE MONEY THAN
EVER BEFORE. WE HAVE MORE ADULTS PER STUDENT THAN WE DID IN 2014. AND YET STUDENT OUTCOMES HAVE DECLINED FOR NEARLY EVERY SUBGROUP. THIS IS NOT ABOUT CUTTING FOR THE SAKE OF CUTTING IT IS ABOUT
FLAHERTY OF PURPOSE. IT'S ABOUT ALIGNING RESOURCES WITH RESULTS. IT'S ABOUT DEMANDING THAT EVERY DOLLAR MOVE CHILDREN FORWARD BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE NUMBERS TELL THE HARD TRUTH WE ARE
SPENDING MORE AND ACHIEVING LESS AND BOSTON'S CHILDREN CANNOT AFFORD ANOTHER DECADE OF DRIFT AND DECLINE. SO I'M JUST GOING TO SHARE SOME SLIDES. OOPS.
SO THE LITERACY ISSUE THAT WE FACE IS NOT ONLY IN BOSTON BOSTON'S NUMBERS ARE JUST FAR WORSE THAN PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE ELSE IN THE STATE. UM, BUT THERE IS WIDESPREAD RECOGNITION THAT WE'RE NOT TEACHING CHILDREN HOW TO READ
PROPERLY BECAUSE. >> ONLY 50% UM. >> BUT I. DO. WANT TO SPEAK I CAN'T. THANK YOU I. . IT'S VERY DRY. THANK YOU. AGAIN.
>> UM THANKS, JULIE. UM, SO WE ARE SEEING WIDESPREAD RECOGNITION AND THIS IS WHY WHEN WE GO TO OUR SCORES UM,
AND THESE ARE THE 2025 MCAS SCORES, WHAT WE SEE STATEWIDE IS THAT ONLY 4 IN 10 STUDENTS ARE READING THREE. THAT GOING GO TO MY CLOSE-UP VERSION OF THIS.
I USE THE PHONE THAT'S NOT AND I. I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. SORRY NO ONE'S NOT ADVANCING. SO 4 IN 10 STUDENTS ARE READING
ON GRADE LEVEL ACROSS ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH. WE KNOW THAT THE OUTCOMES ARE FAR WORSE FOR CHILDREN FROM HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED BACKGROUNDS. UM AND SCORES ARE DOWN MORE
THAN 20% UM FROM A PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS AND WE HAVE NOT RECOVERED. SO WHY DO WE NEED LITERACY LEGISLATION WHICH THANKFULLY THE STATE HOUSE HAS RECOGNIZED AND WE'VE HAD A UNANIMOUS VOTE
IN THE HOUSE AND UNANIMOUS VOTE IN THE SENATE AND THEY'RE CURRENTLY IN CONFERENCE COMMITTEE RECONCILING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO VERSIONS OF THE BILL. BUT HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT KIDS WHO CAN'T READ THEY'RE FOUR TIMES LESS LIKELY TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
THEY HAVE LOWER LIFETIME EARNINGS. UH, WE WILL NOT BE PARTICIPATING UH, OR ADDING THEM TO OUR WORKFORCE PIPELINE AND IF THEY WILL NOT BE PARTICIPANTS IN A VIBRANT
ECONOMY AND I THINK WHAT'S MOST FRIGHTENING TO ME AS A MOTHER AND SOMEONE WHO WORKS IN EDUCATION POLICY IS THE CORRELATION BETWEEN ILLITERACY AND INCARCERATION. WE KNOW THAT IT'S OVER 70%
OF INCARCERATED MEN ARE ILLITERATE AND FOR OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, 85% CAN'T READ. SO THIS IS BOSTON'S DATA UH,
SHARING THIRD GRADE, FIFTH GRADE AND EIGHTH GRADE. AND I THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT THESE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE REALLY NOTHING SHORT OF ALARMING. UM, IT SEEMS THAT FOR SOME
OF OUR GROUPS THE LONGER WE HAVE STUDENTS THE WORSE THE OUTCOMES. BECOME THESE OUTCOMES AGAIN FOR OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR WHEN YOU SEE THESE SINGLE DIGIT NUMBERS
WE ALL KNOW AND I KNOW MANY OF US. UM. >> COUNCILOR MURPHY, YOU'RE A FORMER TEACHER COUNCILOR MEJIA . YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH EDUCATION FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A WIDE RANGE OF DISABILITY IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE SOME CHILDREN LIKE THE CHILDREN AT THE CARTER SCHOOL WHO ARE PROFOUNDLY DISABLED AND NEED SPECIALIZED ATTENTION. BUT THEN. >> YOU HAVE CHILDREN WHO HAVE ADHD, SLOW PROCESSING SPEEDS,
UM, MAYBE ANXIETY CHALLENGES LIKE THERE'S A WHOLE RANGE. THERE IS NO REASON WHY THIS NUMBER IS NOT AT 60%. THERE IS NO REASON WHY STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES SHOULD BE IN
THE SINGLE DIGITS KNOWING WHAT WE PAY FOR THAT GROUP AND THE ENGLISH LEARNERS AS WELL 9% IN THE EIGHTH GRADE. HOW IS AN. ENGLISH LEARNER SUPPOSED TO. >> BE. ABLE TO ACCESS A BIOLOGY OR
CHEMISTRY TEXTBOOK IF. 91% OF THEM ARE NOT READING ON GRADE LEVEL? SO BOSTON WAS EXTREMELY FORTUNATE DURING THE PANDEMIC TO GET ALMOST HALF $1 BILLION
IN ARP ESSER FUNDS THAT WERE INTENDED TO HELP SCHOOLS RECOVER FROM TIME OUT OF SCHOOL. WHAT DOES THAT RECOVERY LOOK LIKE IN BOSTON OR LACK THEREOF?
SO IN THE ENTIRE THIRD GRADE IN THE BOSTON. PUBLIC SCHOOLS WE. HAVE EIGHT BLACK STUDENTS. WHO EXCEED EXPECTATIONS IN READING EIGHT WE HAVE 28 LATINO STUDENTS IN THE FOURTH GRADE.
WE HAVE EIGHT BLACK STUDENTS WHO. EXCEED EXPECTATIONS IN READING AND 26 LATINO STUDENTS IN THE FIFTH GRADE. WE HAVE EIGHT BLACK STUDENTS
WHO EXCEED EXPECTATIONS AND 12 LATINO STUDENTS. AND IN THE SIXTH GRADE WE HAVE 24 BLACK STUDENTS WHO EXCEED EXPECTATIONS AND 36 LATINO
STUDENTS. SO THIS IS WHAT WE SPENT AS YOU CAN SEE YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ARTICLES IN THESE LAST FEW YEARS ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE CALLING THE SOUTHERN SURGE THE MISSISSIPPI MIRACLE.
UM, MISSISSIPPI SWITCHED OVER TO RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE BASED INSTRUCTION. ABOUT 1012 YEARS AGO NOW. SO THIS IS WHAT WE. SPEND UM ON AVERAGE $35,000 IN
PER PUPIL EXPENDITURES. YOU CAN SEE THAT LOUISIANA, ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI SPEND SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN WE DO AND THEIR POVERTY LEVELS ARE MORE THAN DOUBLE OURS.
LET'S LOOK AT THE READING SCORES. UM, ACCORDING TO NAPE OR ALSO KNOWN AS THE NATION'S REPORT CARD, MISSISSIPPI STUDENTS IN
THE LEAD 290 LOUISIANA 216 BOSTON 214 ALABAMA RIGHT BEHIND US 213 AND THEN. WE GO TO THE. >> NEXT SLIDE. LET'S LOOK AT LOW INCOME.
STUDENTS MISSISSIPPI LOUISIANA ALABAMA. BOSTON. >> JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT WE'RE SPENDING ALMOST THREE TIMES WHAT THESE STATES ARE SPENDING. BP'S BUDGET.
SO WHERE'S OUR MONEY GOING UM WE CAN SEE THE THE INCREASE IN THE GENERAL FUND 53% SINCE FY 19. WE CAN SEE UM THE STAFFING IS DOWN. >> A BIT.
THIS YEAR 11% AND UH DECREASE IN ENROLLMENT WHICH YOU KNOW, WHEN I SEE THAT. IN SOME OF THE MATERIALS THAT HAVE BEEN SHARED WITH THE COMMUNITY AROUND THE BUDGET AND I KNOW WE DON'T CALL IT A SOFT
LANDING ANYMORE BUT ENGLISH HIGH SCHOOL WHICH HAS SEEN DECREASED ENROLLMENT BUT THEY'RE THEY'RE FUNDING IS NOT GOING TO BE DECREASED PROPORTIONATELY TO THE AMOUNT OF STUDENTS THAT THEY'RE LOSING . UM ENGLISH. >> HIGH.
SCHOOL READING AND MATH LEVELS ARE IN THE SINGLE DIGITS FOR 10TH GRADERS SINGLE DIGITS. SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHERE WE'RE INVESTING MONEY WHAT ARE WE GETTING?
WHAT IS THAT RETURN ON THE INVESTMENT IF OUR STUDENTS CAN'T DO MATH AND THEY CAN'T READ OKAY. AND THEN WHEN WE'RE WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS MASKED CORE COMPLETION THAT THE GLOBE HAS
BEEN COVERING AGAIN I GO BACK WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE EIGHTH GRADE. UH. >> ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS FOR 2025 MCATS FOR BOTH MATH AND ELA, I
AGAIN ASK HOW WITH NUMBERS THIS LOW ARE WE EXPECTING STUDENTS TO ACCESS HIGH LEVEL TEXTBOOKS WHETHER IT'S BIOLOGY, WHETHER IT'S CHEMISTRY, WHETHER IT'S
EUROPEAN HISTORY OR AMERICAN HISTORY, HOW ARE WE EXPECTING THEM TO SUCCEED AND TO DO MATH CORE WHICH IS FOUR YEARS OF ENGLISH, FOUR YEARS OF MATH FOUR YEARS OF OR SORRY THREE
YEARS OF SCIENCE, TWO YEARS OF A FOREIGN LANGUAGE ONE YEAR OF ART WHEN YOU ARE STARTING YOUR HIGH SCHOOL YEAR THIS FAR
BEHIND AND WITH THAT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO ROSS. THANK YOU MARY UM. WELL I'M ROSS WILSON. I AM UH I USED TO WORK IN
BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I WAS A TEACHER AT THE JACKSON MANN SCHOOL. KINDERGARTEN TEACHER. I WAS A PRINCIPAL AT THE HALEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DOWN IN ROSLINDALE. AND THEN I USED TO WORK WITH DAVID IN CENTRAL OFFICE.
UM, AND I WAS IN CHARGE OF HUMAN RESOURCES FOR. >> A WHILE. I WAS DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT AND CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND I WAS IN CHARGE OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, UH, WITH ALL OF OUR
UNIONS FOR QUITE A WHILE. AND NOW I AM FORTUNATE TO BE ON A PODCAST CALLED LAST NIGHT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE WHERE I COVER EVERY SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING AND GIVE A BRIEFING ON
SCHOOL COMMITTEE THE DAY AFTER SCHOOL COMMITTEE UM PRESENTS IT'S A HALF HOUR LITTLE LITTLE PODCAST AND IT UM SUMMARIZES WHAT'S GOING ON AND AND UM I ALSO WORK AT THE SHAW FAMILY
FOUNDATION WHERE WE SUPPORT EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE AND COMMUNITY IN BOSTON. UM, I'M PROUD TO BE HERE WITH MARY AND WITH DAVID. I THINK DAVID DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB AND I APPRECIATE HIS
DEDICATION TO UM AND ACTUALLY ALL HIS PATIENTS AND ANSWERING EVERYONE'S QUESTIONS BOTH AT SCHOOL COMMITTEE AND AT CITY COUNCIL AND MARY FOR HER INCREDIBLE LEADERSHIP IN BOSTON NOT ONLY ON THE SCHOOL
COMMITTEE BUT IN HER ROLE NOW. SO THANK YOU MARY. I'M ALSO THE PROUD PARENT OF THREE BOYS IN BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS, MY OLDEST BEING A SENIOR AT BOSTON ONE SCHOOL THIS YEAR WHICH IS KIND
OF CRAZY. UM, I'LL BE BRIEF ON MY COMMENTS ABOUT UM, THIS CURRENT BUDGET BUT UM, I WANT TO RAISE UH, JUST THIS POINT THAT THIS
IS NOT NEW TO BE IN THE SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE A BUDGET FREEZE AND. YES. >> OKAY, SO IN 2015 WE HAD A BUDGET FREEZE AND BP'S IT WAS I THINK WE WERE UH ABOUT $15 MILLION OVER BUDGET.
AND IN JANUARY WE SENT A MEMO OUT TO UH THE ENTIRE SCHOOL SYSTEM. WE SAID WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS. WE'RE FREEZING BUDGETS, WE'RE FREEZING CENTRAL BUDGETS AND WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN TO FREEZE
SCHOOL BASED BUDGETS AND THEY MANAGE DOWN THE BUDGET MONTH BY MONTH BY MONTH. UM, I THINK DAVID, YOU WERE WERE YOU. THERE WAS A YEAR THAT WAS THE YEAR BEFORE I STARTED. OKAY. >> SO SO THAT WAS THE LAST YEAR I THINK THAT WE HAD A BUDGET
FREEZE AND THEN WE ALSO HAD A BIGGER BUDGET FREEZE IN 2009. UM WE HAD A RATHER LARGE BUDGET DEFICIT IN 2009 COMING RIGHT OFF OF UM UH THE FINANCIAL
CRISIS AND WE FROZE EVERYONE'S BUDGETS. AND THAT YEAR, BY THE WAY, WE SAID TO SCHOOLS WE'RE GOING TO FREEZE YOUR BUDGETS IF YOU DON'T USE YOUR MONEY BY STATE, WE'RE GOING TO PULL ALL THE MONEY BACK. AND WE DID PULL THE MONEY BACK ESSENTIALLY.
SO THIS IS NOT NEW TO HAVE A $53 MILLION OR MORE BUDGET DEFICIT AT THIS TIME. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW TO THE FIRST PART THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT HERE IS MANAGING THE BUDGET DOWN RIGHT.
SO DAVID HAS TALKED ABOUT AND DPS HAS TALKED ABOUT FOR DRIVERS FOR WHY WE'RE IN A BUDGET DEFICIT. LET ME JUST TALK ABOUT EACH ONE REALLY QUICK BECAUSE THESE THE CITY COUNCIL TO ME UH AND THE
PUBLIC AND THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE HAS TO HOLD THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE FOR MANAGING THESE ITEMS DOWN TRANSPORTATION NUMBER ONE WHEAT LAST YEAR AND
COUNCIL I'M HERE REFER TO THIS WE ROLLED OUT A ZOOM APP IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND WE SAID THIS WILL FIX EVERYTHING. WE WILL ROLL OUT AN APP. WE'RE GOING TO KNOW WHO'S ON THE BUS WHEN THEY'RE ON THE BUS
AND WE'RE GOING TO DECREASE ROUTES. WE'RE GOING TO CUT ROUTES CUTTING ROUTES WE MEAN CUTTING DRIVERS AND IT WOULD MEAN SAVING MONEY OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
UM INSTEAD WE HAVE NOT DONE ANY OF THAT. WE HAVE CUT NO ROUTES AT ALL OFFERED THIS ZOOM APP AND THAT WAS THE PROMISE LAST YEAR IS WRITTEN ABOUT IN THE BOSTON GLOBE AND SO ON. WE'VE CUT ZERO ROUTES INSTEAD
WE'VE ADDED ROUTES SO WE HAVE FEWER. WE HAVE I THINK 10,000 FEWER STUDENTS IN THE LAST NINE YEARS AND WE'VE ONLY ADDED ROUTES TO
OUR TRANSPORTATION AND ONLY ADDED DRIVERS TO OUR TRANSPORTATION BUDGET. WE HAVE NO WAY OF MANAGING DOWN TRANSPORTATION. NOTHING NOTHING THAT HAS BEEN
PRESENTED HAS SHOWN ME ANY CONFIDENCE THAT WE WILL MANAGE THIS TOWN. SO NEXT YEAR WE PROPOSED A BUDGET 11 MILLION OVER THIS YEAR'S TRANSPORTATION BUDGET 11
MILLION OVER AND I GUARANTEE WE WILL BE HERE NEXT YEAR OVER TRANSPORTATION AND WE ARE SPENDING MORE ON TRANSPORTATION THEN ALL OF OUR ACADEMIC PROGRAMS COMBINED.
SO MARY JUST PRESENTED THOSE DATA A THIRD OF OUR STUDENTS READING OUR GRADE LEVEL RIGHT SINGLE PERCENTAGES UM OUR ACHIEVING. OUR STUDENTS OF COLOR IN OUR
SCHOOL SYSTEM AND IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING THIS IS JUST GOING WE WILL BE A DISTRICT THAT JUST TRANSPORTS STUDENTS TO UNDERPERFORMING SCHOOLS.
SO SOMETHING HAS TO STOP AT THIS POINT. THE NEXT POINT AROUND FILLING TOO MANY JOBS. SO WE HAD A FILL RATE THAT WAS TWO SUCCESSFUL THAT'S GREAT IN
THE AIR WHEN I WAS AIR AND IT WAS AWESOME TO HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL RATE IS EXCELLENT BUT FOLKS LIKE WE MANAGE THIS LIKE WE SHOULD EXPECT. THIS IS NOT UNEXPECTED TO FILL
JOBS RIGHT? LIKE WE SHOULD BE WHEN WE BUDGET A JOB WE SHOULD FILL THE JOB WE BUDGET FOR READING JOBS. WE SHOULD FILL READING JOBS. SO THIS IS NOT THIS.
IS THIS IS NOT AN EXPLANATION THAT I'M AWARE OF OR THAT I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THAT IS WE'RE OUT OF CONTROL BECAUSE OUR FILL RATE WAS TOO HIGH. IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO
ME THE. THIRD THE. THIRD THING AROUND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. I USED TO RUN COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. YOU AGREE TO A CONTRACT. YOU AGREE TO A CONTRACT YOU CAN
AFFORD. YOU DON'T AGREE TO A CONTRACT THAT YOU CAN'T AFFORD AND THEN SAY WE NEED TO FREEZE EVERYONE'S BUDGETS BECAUSE WE CAN'T AFFORD THIS CONTRACT. IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY.
YOU SIT AT THE TABLE, YOU AGREE TO A CONTRACT THAT YOU CAN AFFORD. YOU PRESENT THAT TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND EVERYBODY ELSE AND SAY HERE'S A CONTRACT WE CAN AFFORD. IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD THE CONTRACT YOU DON'T AGREE TO THE CONTRACT.
THESE ARE IN OUR CONTROL. WE CAN MANAGE THEM DOWN BUT THE WAY THEY'RE BEING PRESENTED BY DPS AT THIS POINT IS AS IF THEY ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL. BUT THEY ARE NOT.
AND I WOULD IMPLORE THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE TO HOLD THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT ACCOUNTABLE FOR MANAGING THESE DOWN. THE SECOND THING I'LL JUST SAY
ABOUT EQUITABLE FUNDING AND WAGE AND STUDENT FUNDING WE I WAS AROUND WHEN WE ROLLED OUT WE HAD STUDENT FUNDING. WE DID THIS BECAUSE WE WERE NOBODY HAD TRANSPARENCY INTO HOW SCHOOLS WERE FUNDED.
IN FACT, SOME SCHOOL LEADERS WOULD JUST CALL UP CENTRAL OFFICE AND MAKE A DEAL OR SAY HEY, GIVE ME A LITTLE MORE MONEY. IT WAS NOT DRIVEN ON STUDENT ENROLLMENT AT ALL. RIGHT? SO WE DO HAVE SOME SCHOOLS A LOT MORE MONEY THAN OTHER SCHOOLS.
WE HAD NO IDEA WHY SO WE SAID WE HAD TO CHANGE THE INCENTIVE WITH IT. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THERE'S TRANSPARENCY IN SCHOOL BUDGETS . LET'S FUND THEM. LET'S FUND EVERY STUDENT NO MATTER WHERE THEY GO THEY GET FUNDING.
LET'S INCENTIVIZE SCHOOLS TO HAVE FULL CLASSROOMS TO HAVE FULL SCHOOLS. THAT'S WHY WE DID WAY TOO SOON FUNDING THE SYSTEM OVER TIME STOPPED REALLY FOLLOWING THROUGH AND WE WE HAD A LOT OF SOFT LANDINGS.
WE STARTED PATTING SCHOOLS. NOW WE HAVE A NEW FUNDING MECHANISM WHICH I CANNOT FIND THE FORMULA FOR FOR EQUITABLE FUNDING. I'VE NOT SEEN A FORMULA FOR EQUITABLE STUDENT FUND I. >> CAN SEND YOU. DOING THANK YOU.
THAT THAT FUNDING FORMULA TO ME IS SIMPLY A NEW SOFT LANDING . IT IS BASICALLY SAYING WE HAVE SCHOOLS THAT ARE UNSUSTAINABLE SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO INCENTIVIZE ENROLLMENT ANY LONGER. WE'RE JUST GOING TO GIVE
EVERYONE A SOFT LANDING. AND SO YEARS FROM NOW YOU KNOW WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THIS BUDGET CRISIS EACH YEAR NOW BECAUSE OUR ENROLLMENT CONTINUES TO DECLINE. NOTHING IS GOING TO BE CHANGED FOR THE NEXT AT LEAST DECADE IN TERMS OF BIRTH RATE IF NOT LONGER.
SO WE WILL BE GOING THROUGH THIS EVERY YEAR. WE'LL BE LOOKING AT SMALL SCHOOLS EVERY YEAR WE'LL BE SAYING THESE SCHOOLS ARE WAY TOO EXPENSIVE TO RUN AND WE'RE GOING TO START CLOSING SCHOOLS IF WE DON'T HAVE A FUNDING FORMULA THAT IS TRANSPARENT,
THAT'S ACCOUNTABLE AND THAT INCENTIVIZES WHAT WE WANT, WHICH ARE FULL SCHOOLS WITH ALL OF THE THINGS THAT OUR STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE. LAST THING I'LL SAY AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER FOR QUESTIONS
UH IS VALUES A BUDGET SHOULD TELL US WHAT WE VALUE AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS I CUT IN MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS FROM WHATEVER REASON IT SAYS WE'RE NOT VALUING OUR
MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS. A MAJORITY OF OUR DISTRICT NOW OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. >> AND. MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS WE SHOULD BE FUNDING THOSE PROGRAMS READING INSTRUCTION. WE SHOULD BE FUNDING READING INSTRUCTION IF WE SEE A CUT IN POSITIONS IN READING WE'RE NOT
VALUING READING. WE'RE VALUING YELLOW BUS TRANSPORTATION. WE'RE NOT VALUING READING. RIGHT. SO OUR BUDGET SHOULD TELL US WHAT WE'RE VALUING. AND THIS BUDGET IS REALLY HARD FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE VALUING AND.
DPS THANK YOU. THANK YOU ROSS THANK YOU MARY UM I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR QUESTIONS. UH, ROUND TWO FOR DAVID AND
ROUND ONE UM FOR OUR GUESTS AND I'LL BEFORE WE GO THERE. YOU KNOW, LIKE MARY, I WENT TO BOSTON. PUBLIC SCHOOLS DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE BUSSING ERA. THIS CONVERSATION AS IT RELATES
TO EDUCATION IS DEEPLY PERSONAL . >> TO ME. UM, I'VE BEEN AN EDUCATION ADVOCATE, DAVID. YOU AND I SAT AT MATTAPAN COMMUNITY LIBRARY WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BILL AND I
BROUGHT SOME PARENTS THERE TO LISTEN AND LEARN. SO THIS IS NOT HYPOTHETICAL FOR ME IN MY ROLE. AND YES, I AM VERY AGGRESSIVE WHEN IT COMES TO ISSUES AND
SOMETIMES I KNOW I SCARE Y'ALL BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS IS THAT I DON'T WANT TO KEEP HAVING THE SAME CONVERSATION AND EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS . IN MY TIME IN THIS ROLE. HOWEVER, I GET TO KEEP IT IN
THE SEAT. I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE TO GET TO A PLACE THAT WE'RE DELIVERING RESULTS FOR OUR FAMILIES BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE LOOKING TO US
FOR ANSWERS. AND SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW LIKE THE LINE OF QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE IS FOR US TO GET THIS RIGHT. YOU KNOW, LIKE I JUST WANT TO
SAY THAT WE'VE BEEN TEN YEARS AND I'M STILL HERE HAVING THE SAME CONVERSATION AND THE ONLY THING THAT CHANGES ARE THE CHARACTERS WHO ARE IN FRONT OF US AND WE GOT TO CHANGE THE
WAY WE DO BUSINESS. SO. COUNCILOR MURPHY, UM. SO A FEW A FEW THINGS THAT I HEARD.
ONE THING I HEARD AFTER I SPOKE FIRST I MEAN THE GOOD THING ABOUT GOING FIRST IS YOU GET ALL YOUR QUESTIONS OUT THERE BUT THEN HEARING OTHERS IT SPARKED ME TO THINK THE REASON
FOR THIS FILING WAS ABOUT THE $53 MILLION BUDGET SHORTFALL, THE CONCERNS WE WERE HEARING RIGHT AWAY FROM SCHOOL LEADERS ,STUDENTS THEMSELVES, PARENTS, EDUCATORS. AND IT WAS EXPLAINED AND I.
THINK IN. A PRETTY CLEAR WAY THAT THESE THIS IS A SHORTFALL FOR THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR THAT WE'RE IN, YOU KNOW, MARCH NOW WE HAVE A FEW MORE MONTHS. OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR AND THAT
THE FREEZE APPLIES TO NOT FILLING ANY VACANT POSITIONS GOING FORWARD ANY DISCRETIONARY PURCHASES, STIPENDS, FIELD TRIPS, ALL OF THESE YOU LISTED THE EXEMPTIONS. BUT I THINK WHAT I HEARD OR.
THE NARRATIVE THAT'S BEING TOLD IS IT'S LET'S JUST GET THROUGH THIS YEAR THAT COME SEPTEMBER EVERYTHING WILL CONTINUE AND WILL BE FULLY FUNDED AGAIN. AND I DON'T BELIEVE.
THAT'S TRUE THAT COME SEPTEMBER THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PUT BACK ALL THESE POSITIONS . WE'RE NOT GOING TO CONTINUE. TO BE ABLE TO SPEND THE WAY WE WERE ON STIPENDS FOR CONTRACTS AND OTHER THINGS.
SO YES, I THINK THERE IS A THERE IS DEFINITELY A NUANCE THERE THAT YOU HIT ON CORRECTLY. RIGHT. SO OUR PROPOSED BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR HAD SOME SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS RIGHT. UM AND JUST QUICKLY TO CLARIFY
ONE THING, UM, THAT ROSS THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IS A PART OF OUR COSTS FOR NEXT YEAR. IT'S NOT A SOURCE OF THE CURRENT YEAR UM DEFICIT BUT UM
,THE THAT THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS THAT WE'RE SEEING ACROSS SCHOOLS AND CENTRAL FOR NEXT YEAR RIGHT. THOSE OVERLAP SOMEWHAT WITH THINGS THAT ARE PAUSED THIS YEAR BUT NOT ENTIRELY. LIMITING BECAUSE. >> A COUPLE OF MY COLLEAGUES
SAID OH GOOD I'M GLAD I JUST HEARD YOU SAY I CAN GO BACK TO MY SCHOOLS. I CAN GO BACK TO MY COMMUTE. I CAN GO TELL MY WIFE WHO WANTS TO PULL MY KIDS OUT OF OUR SCHOOL THAT THIS IS ONLY FOR
THE REST OF THIS YEAR WILL BE SAFE. AND THAT'S JUST NOT TRUE, RIGHT? THERE ARE TWO THINGS HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME. THE FIRST IS THAT THE PAUSE IS ONLY FOR THIS YEAR. UM AND THE SECOND IS THAT THERE'S A NEW BUDGET FOR NEXT
YEAR THAT FOR SOME SCHOOLS IS A. >> REDUCTION INCREASE. AND THAT'S WHAT A LOT. >> OF. THE CONVERSATION WITH MY COLLEAGUES THEY'RE HEARING DIRECTLY FROM SCHOOLS AND THEIR DISTRICT. UM. >> MARY ANN ROSS, IF YOU COULD JUST SHARE LIKE WHAT'S YOUR
BIGGEST FEAR UM, IN THIS BUDGET SHORTFALL? I MEAN FOR ME, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FIND DEEPLY
CONCERNING IS JUST HOW LITTLE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT LIKE OUR DISTRICT IS IN A LITERACY AND MATH CRISIS AND THE FACT THAT THIS IS NOT BEING DISCUSSED AND
IT'S NOT EVER BEING TIED TO WHAT ARE WE DOING TO IMPROVE STUDENT OUTCOMES, I FEEL THAT THE BULK OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETINGS ARE
OPERATIONAL TO ROSSES POINT. YOU KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUSSES AND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE'RE SPENDING ON BUSSES AND YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT SCHOOL PROJECTS OR OH, WE'RE TEACHING KIDS HOW TO RIDE BIKES AT THE BEETHOVEN SCHOOL.
WELL THAT'S ALL WELL AND GOOD BUT THEY CAN'T READ. AND TO ME THE FACT THAT THAT'S NOT BEING DISCUSSED AT EVERY MEETING. AND SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE BUDGET SHORTFALL AND WHAT
COUNSELOR CULPEPER RAISED ABOUT READING SPECIALISTS ALTHOUGH TO BE CLEAR UM, TO YOUR POINT UM, REVEREND, THAT IF YOU'RE NOT USING THE RIGHT INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND IF.
YOUR TEACHERS AREN'T TRAINED IN EVIDENCE BASED INSTRUCTION AND TOO MANY OF BOSTON TEACHERS ARE NOT AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE MATERIALS THEY NEED, OUR STUDENTS ARE NOT GOING TO LEARN HOW TO READ.
SO THE FACT FOR EXAMPLE, THAT FOCUS ISN'T EVEN ON THE TABLE IS TERRIFYING BECAUSE WHAT IS YOUR FUTURE. IF YOU. >> CANNOT READ AND AGAIN PLEASE LOOK AT THOSE AND I'LL YOU HAVE MY POWERPOINT. LOOK AT.
>> THOSE EIGHTH GRADE NUMBERS IF YOU ARE IN THE SINGLE DIGITS OR THE TEENS YOU TELL ME WHERE THOSE KIDS ARE GOING TO BE IN FOUR YEARS AND WHAT IS THEIR FUTURE IF THEY CAN'T READ?
READING IS YOUR GATEWAY AND WE ARE WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF SCHOOLING? THE PURPOSE OF SCHOOLING IS TO LEARN HOW TO READ BECAUSE READING THEN ALLOWS YOU TO
ACCESS EVERYTHING ELSE. SO WHAT ARE WE DO TO ROSSES POINT? ARE WE A SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT IS FOCUSED ON EDUCATING CHILDREN OR ARE WE SIMPLY BUSSING CHILDREN FROM BUILDING
TO BUILDING FOR 6.5 HOURS A DAY WHERE THEY'RE NOT LEARNING HOW TO READ AND THEY'RE NOT LEARNING HOW TO DO MATH? SO ARE WE A JOBS AND BUSSING PROGRAM OR ARE WE AN
EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENT? SADLY, I DON'T THINK WE ARE AN EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENT BECAUSE OUR DATA IS TELLING US OTHERWISE. I THINK MY BIGGEST CONCERN. IS UH. PRIMARILY FOR FAMILIES AND OUR
STUDENTS AND TRYING TO. UNDERSTAND WHAT THE UH. PREDICTABILITY IS FOR OUR SYSTEM. SO FOR NEW FAMILIES, DO. >> WE. UNDERSTAND WHAT WE SHOULD BE GETTING OUT OF OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMING? DO WE KNOW WHAT SHOULD WE EVEN
ENTER INTO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. AS NEW FAMILIES? SO I THINK THAT'S ONE OF MY PRIMARY CONCERNS. UM I'M STILL I'M STILL I HAVE. A LOT OF CONCERNS AROUND SPECIAL EDUCATION INCLUSIONARY PROGRAMS AND MULTILINGUAL LEARNER PROGRAMS QUITE FRANKLY
AROUND THESE INCLUSIONARY PRACTICES I HAVE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MODELS ARE. I HAVEN'T SEEN THE MODELS. I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE EXACTLY ROLLED OUT OVER TIME. WHAT I'VE HEARD IS THERE'S INCLUSION PLANNING TEAMS. SCHOOL BASED. >> TEAMS WILL DECIDE WHAT THEIR
MODELS ARE AND THEN WE'LL ROLL THIS OUT OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS. IT REALLY DOESN'T TELL ME WHAT PROGRAMING WE'RE PROVIDING FOR SCHOOL, HOW WE'RE DOING THAT, HOW WE'RE MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS OF THOSE. PROGRAMS AND I JUST. >> DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE RIGHT INVESTMENTS IN THE RIGHT PLACES. OKAY.
>> THANK YOU. BEFORE THE BUZZER GOES OFF, UM ,HOW MANY PERMANENT TEACHERS HAVE BEEN PLACED IN OR WILL BE PLACED IN THE ACCESSIBLE. UH, AT THIS MOMENT, NO ONE THIS
PLACE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR THE CURRENT YEAR FOR NEXT. MONTH OR. >> NEXT YOU CAN'T FIRE SOMEONE MID-YEAR THEY HAVE A CONTRACT FOR THE YEAR. SO COMING INTO NEXT YEAR. SO WE DON'T HAVE RIGHT WE WE ONLY DO THOSE PLACEMENTS IN AUGUST RIGHT BEFORE THE YEAR
STARTS. OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE NO MORE EDUCATORS IN THAT POOL THAN WE HAVE IN THE CURRENT YEAR. SO HOW. MUCH DO WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IN THE CURRENT. YEAR I HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK THE CURRENT. NUMBER BUT IT'S PRETTY LOW. SO EVEN THOUGH SCHOOLS. >> ARE BEING ASKED TO MAKE
CUTS, ALL OF THOSE CUTS WILL BE IN NON PERMANENT TEACHERS BECAUSE WE KNOW. WE HAVE. >> NO NON PERMANENT TEACHERS WHO HAVE NOT RECEIVED LETTERS. WE'VE BEEN WE'VE BEEN REALLY CLEAR WITH OUR UH. SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL YEARS THAT
THEY'RE THERE. WE'RE OUR FIRST PRIORITY NEEDS TO BE HIRING THOSE PERMANENT EDUCATORS TO WHICH WE OWE JOBS. SO WHEN THERE ARE VACANT POSITIONS THOSE VACANT POSITIONS ARE GOING TO START BY GOING TO CANDIDATES INSIDE THE.
SYSTEM OF COURSE. BUT THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR. BUT SO YOU'RE SAYING LIKE THE HENDERSON HIGH SCHOOLS CLOSING RIGHT. SO THOSE STAFF HAVE TO FIND JOBS THEY'RE PERMANENT BUT THEY'RE THEY'RE IN THE ACCESS
POOL UNTIL ANOTHER SCHOOL PICKS . THEM UP. >> THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT WHAT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR AT UM FEAR OF OF MAKING MY COLLEAGUE WHO IMPLEMENTED THIS TO THE RIGHT VERY UPSET. UM UH SO EVERY YEAR WE ACTUALLY
HAVE A UH SYSTEM OF OPEN HIRE. WHERE UM, PERMANENT. TEACHERS CAN TRANSFER OR MORE STAFF. WILL NOT BE. GOING BACK AND FORTH. THE TIME HAS ALREADY BEEN. UH. >> A LOT. >> OF AN. EXTENDED I GUESS IT THE WE JUST WANT TO KNOW. >> HOW MANY PERMANENT WE CAN GIVE.
>> YOU A. PLAYGROUND COUNSELOR. UM, I'LL WAIT FOR THAT. THAT'S RIGHT. YOU WAIT FOR YOUR NEXT I CAN CALL IT. >> WHAT WE WANT. I KNOW WE CHANGE NAMES. WE'LL BE BACK. WE, UH, THE. EXCUSE ME. UH, HELLO? SORRY. >> SORRY I'M LATE. I WILL YOU STOP IT?
YEAH. OKAY. COUNCILOR FLYNN AND YOU ONLY HAVE FIVE. >> MINUTES, OKAY? I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW FOR THE RECORD. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU TO DAVID TO, UH,
ROSS AND TO MARY AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO MARY FOR BEING A LONG TIME EDUCATOR AND COMMITTED TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES HER ENTIRE LIFE. UM, SO I THINK THIS WAS ONE
OF THE MOST INFORMATIVE HEARINGS I'VE BEEN TO ON THE CITY COUNCIL, ESPECIALLY ON PUBLIC EDUCATION. UM, MARY OUTLINED REALLY IN MY OPINION A DEVASTATING STATUS
REPORT AND THERE IS NO OTHER WAY YOU COULD DESCRIBE IT ANY OTHER WAY OTHER THAN THAT. UM BUT MY MY AND DAVID AND DAVID KNOWS I LIKE HIM. HE'S HE'S A WONDERFUL GUY.
OH BUT. DAVID BUT DAVID IT YOU SAW THESE NUMBERS. YEAH. UM, HOW ARE STUDENTS DOING IN BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND WHERE BOSTON STUDENTS ARE TODAY?
THIRD GRADE ONLY EIGHT BLACK STUDENTS EXCEED EXPECTATIONS. ARE THOSE NUMBERS ACCURATE? UM, I I WOULD HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK THE INDIVIDUAL.
WELL I MEAN I WOULD I YOU KNOW I THINK. IT'S OKAY. >> YEAH YEAH IT'S ALL PUBLIC. YEAH SO OKAY SO I SO I REFERENCE THAT BECAUSE LISTENING TO THAT PRESENTATION IF YOU WERE SITTING HERE AND
YOU WERE ON THE DC BOARD YOU WERE A MEMBER OF DC, YOU YOU WOULD VOTE FOR RECEIVERSHIP BASED ON THE PRESENTATION THAT THAT WE JUST HEARD WHETHER YOU SUPPORTED OR AGAINST IT UM
DEVASTATING DEVASTATING NUMBERS HERE. UM I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN IGNORE IT, HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT AT LEAST
ACKNOWLEDGING THAT, UM, BLACK CHILDREN AND LATINO CHILDREN ARE NOT GETTING A DECENT EDUCATION IN THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
I DON'T KNOW HOW WE HOW WE SKIP OVER THAT AND ACT AS IF NOTHING NOTHING IS WRONG AND GO ON TO OTHER SUBJECTS THAT WE SHOULD EVERY HAVE EVERY CITY
COUNCILOR HERE TALKING ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE. IT'S THAT IT'S THAT DEVASTATING. ONE CITY COUNCIL ACTUALLY SAID TODAY THAT WE SHOULDN'T EVEN BE DISCUSSING UH, BP RELATED
ISSUES DURING THE BUDGET. UM, LET ME GO TO ROSS RUSSELL. YOU'VE BEEN IN THIS YOU'VE BEEN WORKING AT THE BP SYSTEM FOR A LONG TIME. MARY SAID THIS IS THE UM YOU
KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR 12 YEARS. THESE RESULTS THESE POOR RESULTS. YOU WERE IN THE BP SYSTEM DURING THIS TIME. DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THESE RESULTS? UM, AT THAT TIME YOU WERE A
BP'S EMPLOYEE. I'M NOT SAYING YOU WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT, BUT I'M JUST ASKING DID YOU KNOW ABOUT IT? UM. >> WE. WERE ALWAYS. CONCERNED IN BP'S ABOUT NOT ONLY OUR OVERALL ACHIEVEMENT
OF OUR STUDENTS BUT THE ACHIEVEMENT. GAPS THAT WE SAW. >> IN OUR SCHOOL. SYSTEM AND WE REPORTED ON THESE . UM. >> MULTIPLE TIMES A YEAR, UH, SCHOOL. COMMITTEE MEETINGS. CITY COUNCIL HEARINGS, UM, TOPIC OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. OKAY.
>> SO THE THE RESULTS THAT MARY HIGHLIGHTED REALLY SHOULD BE WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON GOING INTO THE BUDGET PROCESS FOCUSED
SOLELY ON THESE NUMBERS. HOW DOES THIS BUDGET IMPACT BLACK AND BROWN STUDENTS? WE CAN'T IGNORE THAT. AND DAVID AGAIN I RESPECT YOU BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN
MOVE FORWARD IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A SERIOUS CONVERSATION ABOUT THESE NUMBERS. UM. SO WHAT IN THIS BUDGET WHAT IN
THIS BUDGET WILL IMPACT SUPPORTING BLACK AND BROWN STUDENTS? ARE WE GOING TO COME BACK NEXT YEAR AND SAY YES SAID BASED ON THE WORK WE DID ON THIS BUDGET,
ACADEMIC RESULTS FOR BLACK AND BROWN STUDENTS ARE GOING TO INCREASE. CAN CAN WE SAY THAT. THAT IS CERTAINLY OUR GOAL? NO I KNOW IT'S THE GOAL I SUPPORT THE GOAL BUT BUT IF
IT'S BEEN DECLINING FOR FOR 12 YEARS WHY IS THIS YEAR WHY IS IT GOING TO IMPROVE THIS YEAR? I THINK FOR ME THE BIGGEST
SINGLE OBSTACLE THAT BP HAS HAD IN THE TIME I'VE BEEN THERE HAS BEEN. CHURN HAS BEEN ONE CHURN CHANGES. OKAY. >> UH, CHANGES IN LEADERSHIP CHANGES IN ADMINISTRATION
CHANGES AND UM PRIORITIES AND THE WAY THOSE PRIORITIES HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED IN EFFORTS TO CHANGE THESE OUTCOMES. ONE OF THE THINGS I GREATLY APPRECIATE ABOUT SUPERINTENDENT SKIPPER AND OUR
CURRENT ADMINISTRATION IS UM, THOSE PRIORITIES ARE NOT ARE NOW STABLE. RIGHT. AND IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO MAKE A CHANGE IN A SYSTEM AS
BIG AS THAT HAS HAD, UH, RESULTS AS TROUBLING AS THE ONES THAT WERE JUST OUTLINED RIGHT OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS. AND SO I THINK UM, I HAVE
CONFIDENCE THAT THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE AIMING FOR ARE THE RIGHT ONES. BUT NOW IT'S ABOUT. GETTING THE RESULTS. WELL, LET ME ASK ONE FINAL QUESTION.
UH, MARY, UM, YOU MENTIONED THE CITY OF LAWRENCE AND OTHER STRUGGLING CITIES AND I LOVE THAT CITY, UM, AS WE ALL DO BUT IT'S A STRUGGLING CITY. UM, THEY HAVE BETTER ACADEMIC
RESULTS THAN THAN BOSTON. BUT WHAT ARE THEY DOING THAT THAT WE'RE NOT DOING? UH, WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM SOME OF THESE CITIES THAT HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE, WHETHER IT'S IMMIGRATION,
WHETHER IT'S, UM, SOCIAL ISSUES? UH, WE SUPPORT LAWRENCE LAWRENCE SUPPORTS US, BUT BUT WHAT ARE THEY DOING THAT WE'RE NOT DOING? WELL. >> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT LAWRENCE IS DOING, COUNCILOR FLYNN, IS THAT THEY
ARE OFFERING MASS CORE TO ALL OF THEIR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, WHICH IS SOMETHING BOSTON IS NOT. AND I THINK THIS IS WHAT THE GLOBE STORY REPORTED ON IS THAT I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY. BUT UNDER THE NEW COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING AGREEMENT WITH THE TEACHERS UNION PASSED LAST SPRING THAT SOME HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS ARE ONLY TEACHING SIX COURSES A DAY WHEREAS I WAS IN A HIGH SCHOOL WHERE WE HAD SEVEN COURSES A DAY.
AND SO THE FACT THAT SOME TEACHERS ARE ONLY DOING SIX COURSES A DAY AND IT DOESN'T ALLOW FOR, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF COURSES THAT A STUDENT WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IN ORDER TO GRADUATE HAVING MET THESE MASS
COURSE STANDARDS. SO I'M NOT SURE WHY A CONTRACT WOULD BE APPROVED THAT DOESN'T ALLOW FRANKLY FOR AGAIN IF WE ARE REALLY FOCUSED. >> ON STUDENT. ACHIEVEMENT, WHY ARE THE NEEDS
OF ADULTS SURPASSING THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN LIKE WE ARE GRADUATING CHILDREN THAT WILL NOT EVEN BE ABLE TO GO TO WORCESTER STATE? UM, YOU KNOW UMASS BOSTON, UMASS AMHERST WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT MEETING
MASS CORE STANDARDS. THAT'S A FAILURE BY ADULTS. THAT'S NOT A FAILURE OF CHILDREN. >> THAT'S RIGHT. >> AND I WILL SAY JUST TO RESPOND TO MR BLOOM, UM, IN TERMS OF YES CHANGE CAN BE SLOW. NEW YORK CITY A YEAR AGO ADOPTED EVIDENCE BASED
INSTRUCTION AND RETRAINED THEIR TEACHERS 5 TO 7 PERCENTAGE POINT GAIN IN READING SCORES IN ONE YEAR. CHANGE IS POSSIBLE. IT TAKES THE POLITICAL WILL TO
DO IT AND YOU HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WHAT BOSTON IS USING IS NOT WORKING. IT IS NOT EVIDENCE BASED. AND AGAIN LOOK AT THE DATA NO ONE IS LEARNING HOW TO READ IN BOSTON. THANK YOU MARY.
UM MADAM CHAIR I OUT OF TIME. YOU'VE BEEN OUT OF TIME. UM AND. >> SO LET'S I'M RECLAIMING THAT TIME BECAUSE THAT'S IT. UM YEAH. YOU KNOW, MY DAUGHTER IS.
NOW IN THE 10TH GRADE. AND SINCE SHE STARTED WE'VE. HAD, UM. 1234567 SUPERINTENDENTS.
OKAY, SO THAT IS A PROBLEM. I AGREE. AND THAT IS THAT YOU KNOW AND I THINK THAT EVERY TIME WE HAVE A NEW SUPERINTENDENT WE CHANGE
THE OH THIS YEAR'S THEME IS GOING TO BE THIS AND WE CHANGE EVERYTHING ALL OVER AGAIN. AND SO I THINK THAT'S A PROBLEM WE SHOULD STOP DOING THAT WHATEVER WAS SET YOU KNOW THE
PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION THAT'S WHAT KEEPS MOVING BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE JUST KEEP SPINNING OUR WHEELS HERE. SO ANYWAYS I'M GOING TO GO NEXT TO I BELIEVE COUNCILOR WEBER
BECAUSE MY COLLEAGUES HAVE LEFT . SO IT'S COUNCILOR WEBER COUNCILOR L AND THEN COUNCILOR CULPEPPER JUST SO THAT EVERYBODY IS ON. CUE FOR THEIR. SECOND ROUND OF QUESTIONS AND
YOU GET FIVE MINUTES AND I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M. >> GONNA. GIVE, YOU KNOW, FIVE MINUTES AND THERE'LL BE A THIRD ROUND JUST IN CASE. I WANT AS MUCH TIME AS COUNCILOR FLYNN TOOK JUST THERE. >> WELL. THAT'S JUST ME. LET'S GO.
LASTLY YOU COULD YOU. YOU CAN WATCH THE. TAPE AND YOU COULD SEE. FIVE FIVE MINUTES IS FINE. UH, CHAIR I APPRECIATE IT. UM, OKAY, SO JUST ON THAT LAST POINT FOR MASKER, UH, I GUESS I
HAD A QUESTION FOR YOU, DAVID. NUMBER ONE IS. DOES THE DO THE FREEZES IMPACT OUR. ABILITY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE SENIORS? UH, FOR GRADUATION AND WHAT YOU
KNOW, WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE? I KNOW I HAVE HEARD ONE THIRD STUDENTS, UH, NOT MEETING GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS NEEDING WAIVERS, UH, JUST. TO WITH. >> THE NUMBER, UH, HOW DO WE LOOK AT THEM?
I'M SORRY I DON'T HAVE A GREAT MASK FOR, UH, ANSWER READY? WHAT I WILL SAY IS THE PAUSE THE SPENDING PAUSE WILL NOT WILL NOT BE AN IMPACT TO THAT OR ANYTHING THAT WILL IMPACT
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT UNDER MASK OR WOULD BE UM EXEMPT FROM THAT . SO UM IT SHOULD NOT BE HAVING AN IMPACT ON THAT. OKAY. >> UM AND THEN YOU KNOW I IT FOR FOR MARY AND FOR US YOU
KNOW UH I THINK MARY'S YOU KNOW LIKE I AS A PARENT OF TWO KIDS I'VE SEEN UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE WORST IN TERMS OF THE MISSION HILLS SCHOOL. BOTH MY KIDS WENT THERE AND UH
,THE BEST DPS I THINK MY SON GRADUATED LAST YEAR FROM BOSTON ARTS ACADEMY. MY DAUGHTER'S AT PLAY. UH, I THINK IN OUR JOBS LIKE WE TRY TO AT LEAST LAST YEAR YOU'RE TALKING TO ADVOCATES
LOOKING AT READING SPECIALISTS. I TOTALLY AGREE, MARY. YOU KNOW, LIKE ON YOUR POINT IF THEY CAN'T READ HOW ARE THEY GOING TO DO ANYTHING IN SCHOOL? AND SO YOU KNOW, I MY COLLEAGUES ADVOCATED FOR MORE READING SPECIALISTS AND WE WERE
TOLD THEY WERE THEY WERE GOING TO BE MORE I THINK EVERY SCHOOL SHOULD. >> HAVE ONE. UH BUT IN TERMS OF OUR ABILITY TO KIND OF WORK ON THINGS LIKE WHAT ARE YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD YOU ADVOCATE FOR?
SO IT MIGHT BE HIGH QUALITY LEARNING MATERIALS, UH, THAT YOU KNOW, FOR FROM OUR STANDPOINT IS THERE'S THERE'S INTERNAL DECISIONS AND I FEEL LIKE OUR OVERALL BUDGET MIGHT
HAVE SOMETHING ELSE IF THERE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT LIKE PRACTICAL THINGS THAT WE COULD PICK OFF AND REALLY PUSH FOR THAT YOU THINK WOULD MAKE THE MOST. AMOUNT OF DIFFERENCE. YEAH. >> NO, I MEAN I THINK WITHOUT QUESTION YOU HAVE TO I MEAN YOU
ALL APPROVE THIS BUDGET YOU IF IF THE BUDGET DOES NOT INCLUDE A SWITCH TO HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FOR EARLY LITERACY, NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE, COUNSELOR WEBER I MEAN THAT IS THE
REALITY. YOU CAN ADD 100 READING SPECIALISTS IN EVERY BUILDING IF THEY DON'T HAVE HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS AND IF THE TEACHERS HAVEN'T BEEN TRAINED IN USING THOSE MATERIALS IT WON'T MAKE A
BIT OF DIFFERENCE. AND SO UM, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY INSANITY IS DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS. YOU SAW THE RESULTS. UM, IT'S NOT GOING TO. CHANGE UNTIL.
YOU HAVE LEGITIMATE HQ. I AM EARLY LITERACY IN EVERY BUILDING. UM, AND THAT'S THAT'S REALLY WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN. YOU CAN SAY THAT IT'S HQ BUT IT'S NOT IT'S YOU CAN LOOK IT UP. THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED ED
REPORTS. THERE IS NO FOCUS LISTED LIKE IT IS NOT PEER REVIEWED IT IS NOT HQ AND SO CONTINUING TO CALL IT THAT DOES NOT MAKE IT TRUE. UM BUT WE WILL NOT TEACH
CHILDREN HOW TO READ UNLESS WE ARE DOING PROPER WHICH IS FOLLOWING THE FIVE PILLARS OF EVIDENCE BASED INSTRUCTION. UM, I TALKED TO A VETERAN TEACHER JUST FRIDAY NIGHT.
WE WERE TEXTING UNTIL ABOUT 1030 AT NIGHT ABOUT THIS AND SHE TOLD ME SHE IS SPENDING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO SUPPLEMENT FOCUS UM BECAUSE THERE IS WIDESPREAD RECOGNITION I ENCOURAGE YOU TO TALK TO
TEACHERS AND SCHOOL PRINCIPALS . THEY WILL TELL YOU WHAT THEY THINK OF FOCUS. IT'S NOT GOOD. I HAD A LONGTIME PRINCIPAL TELL ME AND I WILL QUOTE HIM WHEN I SAID WHAT DO YOU THINK OF FOCUS? HE SAID IT'S PURE.
THERE ARE GOOD PRINCIPALS IN THIS SYSTEM WHO ARE USING OTHER MATERIALS BECAUSE THEY CAN AND THEY KNOW BETTER. THAT'S THE REALITY. IT IS. SO IS THIS A COST DECISION OR
THIS IS LIKE A PHILOSOPHY PHILOSOPHICAL. >> IT'S NOT A PHILOSOPHICAL. I MEAN THERE'S 50 YEARS OF RESEARCH THAT BACKS UP SIGNS OF READING. >> YEAH. SO WHY DON'T YOU THINK THEY'RE USING IT IS BECAUSE OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT OR.
I THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE COMFORTABLE DOING WHAT THEY DO. OKAY. >> AND RUSSELL, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT? UH, I BELIEVE THE CITY COUNCIL. SHOULD CALL FOR AN INDEPENDENT AUDIT OF TRANSPORTATION. YEAH, I GUESS THAT TO THAT
POINT, DAVID, LIKE WHAT IS OUR PLAN FOR REDUCE? DO WE HAVE A PLAN TO REDUCE THE COST OF TRANSPORTATION AND UH WHEN IS WHEN IS THAT GOING TO. UM YEAH, I MEAN.
>> SHOW RESULTS. UM, WE HAVE A PLAN TO REDUCE THE COST OF TRANSPORTATION ULTIMATELY. WHAT IS IT? UH, WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING ON LINKING SCHOOLS THAT HAVE TWO SIDES SO THAT ONE BUS CAN
SERVICE LIKE BOTH CAMPUSES AT THE ROOSEVELT FOR EXAMPLE, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WE'RE WORKING ON, UM, IDENTIFYING STUDENTS WHO ARE BUS TO THE GREATEST DISTANCE FROM HOME AND HELPING THEM TO FIND HIGH QUALITY CHOICES
CLOSER TO HOME. THERE'S A VARIETY THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON. WHAT I WOULD SAY IS AND ROSS WOULD KNOW THIS RIGHT LIKE THOSE THINGS ARE MARGINAL RIGHT?
THE THE TWO THINGS THAT COST THE MOST MONEY ARE HAVING A SCHOOL CHOICE. SYSTEM AND PROVIDING DOOR TO. >> DOOR SERVICES THAT ARE LEGALLY REQUIRED ON KIDS IEP.
THOSE ARE THE TWO THINGS THAT COST MONEY THE BIG THE BIG BUCKS UM THAT ARE IN OUR CONTROL. THE THING THAT ISN'T IN OUR CONTROL IS LIKE CHARTER TRANSPORTATION. THERE'S SOME STUFF WE CAN DO
THAT'S MARGINAL, BUT THE TWO BIG THINGS THAT THAT COST THE MOST MONEY ARE THE FACT THAT WE'RE A SCHOOL CHOICE DISTRICT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT
AND THE FACT THAT UH, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO STUDENTS ON WITH DISABILITIES ON THEIR IEPS. LET'S SAY WE NEED TO. ORDER I'M NOT ASKING ANOTHER QUESTION, BUT I'M JUST SO WELL. THE QUESTION IS AM I
TRANSLATING THIS RIGHT? UH, YOUR ANSWER IS THERE WE WE CAN'T LOWER THE COST THAT MUCH WE CAN MAKE SENSE. BUT BECAUSE OF THE THE WAY TRANSPORTATION WORKS IN THE
CITY AND THE YOU KNOW, UH, WE. WE CAN LOWER IT TO SOME DEGREE. OKAY. >> CAN YOU DO ME A FAVOR? YEAH, I LIKE. SPECIFIC CAN. >> YOU GIVE ME AN ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF WHAT YOU CAN LOWER IT TO BECAUSE THEN THAT WAY WE CAN START.
WORKING WITH REAL NUMBERS HERE AND THEN I'M GOING TO MOVE ON TO MY OTHER TWO COLLEAGUES WHO ARE PATIENTLY WAITING AND THEN COUNCILOR UH WEBER WILL COME BACK TO YOU FOR ANOTHER FOLLOW IF THAT'S OKAY. IF YOU DON'T MIND. NO PROBLEM. >> CHATTING IN HERE.
CAN I DO ONE QUICK FOLLOW UP TO TO WHAT? YES YOU CAN WHILE YOU GIVE ME THOSE NUMBERS. DAVE, YOU'RE. >> NOT ON THE GO AHEAD MARY. THANKS TO GOVERNOR HEALEY THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED LITERACY LAUNCH WHERE SCHOOL DISTRICTS CAN APPLY FOR FUNDING UM WHICH
IS BEING GRANTED IN LARGE AMOUNTS FOR NOT ONLY FOR EVIDENCE BASED MATERIALS BUT ALSO TO RETRAIN OUR TEACHERS AND TO SUPPORT THEM IN THIS WORK. UM, THERE'S BEEN IN THE LAST
FIVE YEARS $74.4 MILLION HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED. BOSTON HAS APPLIED FOR SIXTH. THEY GOT 65,000. WE HAVE DISTRICTS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO THE SIZE OF BOSTON THAT HAVE GOTTEN LIKE $3 MILLION.
BOSTON HAS ASKED AND RECEIVED 65,000. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND DAVID. SO I MEAN OUR BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR FOR TRANSPORTATION IS CLOSE TO 200 MILLION IS I THINK A COUNCILOR MENTIONED I THINK
IN TERMS OF WHAT WE COULD SAVE . UM IT'S ALL IT'S RELATIVE WE IT'S YOU KNOW MAYBE YOU KNOW I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER.
THERE'S SOME AMOUNT WE COULD SAVE RIGHT BY, UM, TINKERING AROUND THE EDGES. BUT THOSE ARE THOSE TWO ITEMS, RIGHT? THE FACT WE ARE SCHOOL CHOICE DISTRICT AND WE BOTH STUDENTS
TO SCHOOLS. RIGHT. AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO REQUIRE DOOR-TO-DOOR SERVICES ON THEIR IEPS ARE THE
SIGNIFICANT UM COST DRIVERS OF TRANSPORTATION AND THOSE TWO THINGS, RIGHT, ARE ARE THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON OUR TRANSPORTATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. >> COUNCILOR WEBER.
>> WE'LL COME BACK FOR. ANOTHER MORE. UH, ANSWER THAT. MIGHT FEEL LIKE WE'RE GETTING TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE. COUNCIL AROUND AND THEN COUNCILOR. CULPEPER YOU EACH. THANK YOU. >> CHAIR AND STICKING ON THE
TRANSPORTATION BUDGET I DO AGREE I THINK SPECIFICS COULD HELP AND I'VE ALWAYS JUST HAVE THAT BACK SINCE FOR LIKE THE LAST 2 OR 3 YEARS. BUT IF WE BROKE DOWN THAT
TRANSPORTATION BUDGET TO YOU KNOW, SHOW OUT OF DISTRICT PLACEMENT AND THE COST OF THAT UM IEP TRANSPORTATION AND THEN I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. UH, DAVID.
YEAH, I HEAR YOU WE CAN CERTAINLY WORK ON PARTS OF THAT. IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD IN THAT LIKE STUDENTS WITH IEPS ARE TRANSPORTED ON THE SAME BUS TO STUDENTS WITHOUT IEPS. SO BREAK IT OUT. WELL, EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE HOW DO WE GIVE YOU PLACEMENT
LIKE THEY BUS ON ONE THAT YOU CAN PULL. OUT FOR SURE I. THINK WE WOULD. BE WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. UM AND THEN THIS IS A SUGGESTION A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CHAIR UM BECAUSE WE ARE
MANAGING DOWN COSTS AND I, I WOULD UM SUGGEST THAT MAYBE WE HAVE QUARTERLY MEETINGS OR UM, ON YOU KNOW, THE PLAN UM, AROUND ONE AND TWO UM, JUST TO
KIND OF LEAST MONITOR WE. HAVE UH WE. HAVE THAT. >> OKAY. >> PERFECT, PERFECT. ALL RIGHT. GOOD TO HEAR GOOD TO HEAR I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT. JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM THAT WE. >> ARE. MEETING THE PROJECTIONS AND IF WE ARE NOT MEETING THE
PROJECTIONS THEN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN COURSE CORRECT, UH, IF NEED BE. SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL NOT ONLY TO THE BODY BUT TO THE PUBLIC. UM, AND AND ALSO JUST TO MAKE
SURE THAT IS ON IN LINE. UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO UH, TOUCH ON WAS.
ARE WE TO EXPECT THAT THE LOWEST IS THE LIKE ARE WE NOT RENEWING 400 TEACHERS OR PARAS IN JUNE? IS IS THAT THE IDEA? UM.
>> I WOULD HAVE TO GIVE YOU THE EXACT NUMBER OF EACH TYPE OF POSITION. SO THE WAY IT WORKS IS SO THE POSITIONS ARE BEING REDUCED AND I CAN GIVE YOU THAT EXACT TOTAL
NOW AND THEN WHAT WE DO IS WE WORK THROUGH UM BUMP LIKE UNION RULES ON EXACTLY THE IMPACT ON PEOPLE. RIGHT. SO A SCHOOL MIGHT HAVE A
REDUCTION OF UH TWO POSITIONS BUT ONLY LOSE UH, ONE STAFF MEMBER. RIGHT AS A RESULT BECAUSE ONE OF THE TWO POSITIONS ARE VACANT OR IF SOMEBODY LEAVES OR, YOU
KNOW. SORT OF OTHER THINGS GOING ON. SO THERE'S BASICALLY LIKE A FORMULA UNION RULES THAT KIND OF DENOTES LIKE HOW AND OF HOW WE COULD DO THAT. ALL RIGHT. DO WE HAVE THE DEMOGRAPHICS
OF WHO'S IN THAT POOL. YES OKAY YEAH TO THE CHAIR IF WE COULD GET THAT AS WELL. UM AND THEN THIS IS THE FIRST
FULL SCHOOL YEAR WITHOUT ESSER FUNDS. MHM. RIGHT. UM IS IT A COINCIDENCE THAT YOU KNOW THIS IS THAT THAT FISCAL CLIFF UM THAT WE'VE BEEN
WORRYING ABOUT AND NOW WE'RE IN A 53 MILLION UH DOLLAR DEFICIT. IT'S DEFINITELY NOT FULLY A COINCIDENCE. NO THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THOSE TWO THINGS OKAY.
AND THEN. YEAR BY YEAR LIKE ATTRITION UH, TEACHERS WHO RETIRE WHAT IS THE AVERAGE LIKE HOW MANY? OH BOY. I'LL HAVE TO, UH. DOUBLE CHECK THAT NUMBER.
BUT WE HIRE HUNDREDS OF NEW TEACHERS EVERY YEAR IN A TYPICAL YEAR. OKAY. >> YEAH. IF YOU COULD JUST FINE. I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW THAT. JUST TO KIND OF KNOW YOU KNOW WHAT THAT REAL NUMBER IS WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, TEACHERS IN
PARIS, I THINK LET ME JUST LOOK AT MY NOTES ONE MORE TIME AND UM, AGAIN, UH, MARY ROSS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, VERY COMPELLING DATA AND YOUR
PRESENTATION AND, UM, I THINK WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN DO AS A COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR TEACHERS OUR STUDENTS ARE USING HIGH QUALITY MATERIAL AND HAVING EVIDENCE
BASED MATERIAL AS WELL BECAUSE YOU KNOW, TO YOUR POINT, UM, I LIKE TO SAY CRADLE TO CAREER, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE ON TRACK FROM CRADLE TO CAREER AND IF THEY CAN'T READ THEY CAN'T DO SIMPLE MATH.
IT'S GOING TO BE HARD FOR THEM OUT THERE IN THE REAL WORLD. SO UM, DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOUR ADVOCACY AND UH, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE UH, THE SAME SONG OR THE SAME ADVOCACY THAT WE PUT HERE ON THE BOSTON CITY
COUNCIL. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU THANK YOU COUNCILOR AROUND AND COUNCILOR CULPEPER YOU GET AN. EXTRA 42 SECONDS. THANK YOU.
MADAM CHAIR. MAYOR GOOD TO SEE YOU. JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. REGARDING YOUR EVIDENCE BASE CONSTRUCTION TEACHERS WHAT DO
WE DO TO GET EVIDENCE EVIDENCE BASE INSTRUCTION TEACHERS. WELL, SO. PART OF THE PROBLEM. >> I DON'T KNOW. >> IF I SHOULD CALL YOU COUNSELOR OR. WHATEVER WAS. JUST CALL ME.
PART OF THE PROBLEM, UM, IS THAT EVEN OUR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS ARE NOT THE MAJORITY ARE NOT PROPERLY TRAINING OUR PRE-SERVICE
TEACHERS IN THEIR EDUCATION PREPARATION PROGRAMS. AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE CHALLENGE, REVEREND, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE YOUNG WONDERFUL TEACHERS THAT ARE
GRADUATING GOING INTO OUR SCHOOLS AND THEY MAY VERY LIKELY MAY HAVE ATTENDED A UNIVERSITY THAT DIDN'T PREPARE THEM. BUT WHAT THE DISTRICT CAN DO AND WHAT 50% OF OUR DISTRICTS ARE ALREADY DOING IN
MASSACHUSETTS IS THAT THEY'VE MADE THE SWITCH TO PURCHASING EVIDENCE BASED INSTRUCTION. THERE IS A WAY TO. DETERMINE YOU KNOW, WHICH ARE THE WHICH ARE THE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS THAT ARE YOU KNOW,
THAT REACHED RESEARCH. TELLS US THESE ARE THE. MATERIALS THAT HAVE BEEN MOST EFFECTIVE IN TEACHING CHILDREN HOW TO READ. AND THEN AS WE KNOW AND IT'S PART OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, TEACHERS
GET SO MANY MANDATED HOURS OF OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EVERY YEAR. WE MAKE SURE THAT THAT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS ABOUT ALSO TEACHING THEM HOW TO USE THESE EVIDENCE BASED
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS. AND SO YOU KNOW, THIS DOES COME AT A COST. WE ARE FORTUNATE TO LIVE IN A STATE WHERE THERE IS ACTUALLY A FREE UM HQ. I AM AVAILABLE THROUGH MASS DC IT'S CALLED.
APPLE SEEDS. UM AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT ANY DISTRICT CAN ACTUALLY ADOPT AND USE APPLE SEEDS IT'S K TO TWO AND AS PART OF THE LITERACY BILL WORK THEY ARE
BUILDING OUT A THIRD GRADE COMPONENT TO THIS EXISTING APPLE SEEDS PROGRAM. BUT THEN AGAIN THROUGH LITERACY LAUNCH THERE'S ADDITIONAL DOLLARS. THEY JUST OPENED UP UM THE FORM AND THERE'S AN ONLINE SIGNUP
FORM. ANY TEACHER WHO WANTS TO BE TRAINED IN EVIDENCE BASED INSTRUCTION CAN SIGN UP FOR TRAINING THAT WILL TAKE PLACE THIS SUMMER. AND SO OUR STATE AGENCY DUCEY
HAS COMMITTED TO TRAINING THOUSANDS OF TEACHERS AND EVIDENCE BASED INSTRUCTION OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS AND THE GOVERNOR HAS MADE THAT COMMITMENT AS WELL. WE NEED OUR CITY TO MAKE THAT COMMITMENT, REVEREND.
AND WOULD THAT BE PART, UH, IN YOUR OPINION TEACHER CERTIFICATION. SO IT'S NO, I DON'T I MEAN, ROZ, YOU COULD. PROBABLY ANSWER THAT BUT IT'S. NOT NECESSARILY PART. >> OF. TEACHER CERTIFICATION. >> SO COULD. >> YOU MAKE THAT A PART OF IT?
OH YES AND ACTUALLY. IT SHOULD WITH. SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH REVEREND, ON THE LITERACY BILL ACTUALLY THAT IS A COMPONENT THAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT IS HOW DO WE
ENSURE THAT ALL OF OUR TEACHERS AND THIS IS SOMETHING FRANKLY THAT WE NEED OUR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER ED TO COMMIT TO ALSO ONLY TEACHING OUR FUTURE TEACHERS IN EVIDENCE BASED INSTRUCTION WHETHER IT'S MATH,
WHETHER IT'S IT'S ELA OR READING UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO TACKLE. AND AND IT'S A TOUGH QUESTION BUT WOULD AND YOU YOU MENTIONED
THERE SO I'M PICKING UP ON I'M NOT STARTING THIS BUT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT WE NOT APPROVE THIS BUDGET UNLESS THERE IS SOME WAY THAT THEY CAN SHOW THAT THEY'RE MOVING TOWARD
ABSENT EVIDENCE BASED INSTRUCTORS? YES YOU. WILL YES I WOULD SAY THAT BECAUSE AGAIN INSANITY IS DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND EXPECTING A DIFFERENT RESULT. I SHOWED YOU HOW BAD OUR DATA IS.
I MEAN FRANKLY DO WE WANT IT TO GET WORSE? I MEAN. WHAT ARE WE DOING? AND SO ARE YOU RECOMMENDING THAT WE NOT APPROVE THIS? BUT UNLESS THERE'S. BECAUSE THE ONE IS. YES CORRECT.
BECAUSE THE ONE AND I SAID THIS IN MY REMARKS THE ONE THING THAT NEVER GETS DISCUSSED AT IT WHETHER IT'S THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE THEY NEVER TALK ABOUT WHAT DID WE SPEND MONEY ON LAST YEAR THAT DIDN'T WORK THAT
WE'RE GOING WHAT ARE WE DOING DIFFERENTLY WITH THAT MONEY EVERY YEAR REGARDLESS OF WHATEVER LITERACY CURRICULUM YOU'RE USING EVERY YEAR YOU HAVE TO PURCHASE LICENSES COPYRIGHTS FOR THE MATERIALS YOU'RE USING.
WE HAVE THAT MONEY. IT'S NOT LIKE BOSTON DOESN'T HAVE MONEY FOR CURRICULUM. THEY PURCHASE IT ALL THE TIME. SO THE REALITY IS. USE THE. >> MONEY BETTER AND WISELY BECAUSE WE ARE NOT NOW. AND THAT TAKES MONEY.
ROSS FOR US YOU SAID WE DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT INVESTMENT IN THE RIGHT PLACES. WHAT IN YOUR OPINION ARE THE RIGHT INVESTMENT IN THE RIGHT PLACES? WE SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE INVESTING IN INCLUSIONARY PRACTICES FOR.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. WE SHOULD BE INVESTING IN BUFFALO. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR TIMING AND COUNCILOR MEJIA. GAVE ME. >> 42 I. GOT IT. >> UM UM. >> YOU KNOW STUFF INCLUSIONARY . INCLUSIONARY PRACTICES. >> FOR STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES. I ALSO THINK WE. >> SHOULD BE. INVESTING MORE IN BILINGUAL. EDUCATION FOR OUR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS. THOSE ARE. >> TWO REALLY CORE CRITICAL PROGRAMS THAT I THINK WE'VE BEGUN, UM, TO ROLL OUT AS AS.
MR BLOOM HAS. SAID AND WE'RE BEGINNING TO EXPAND BUT WE'RE NOT EXPANDING THEM FAST ENOUGH, UH, AND ROBUST. ENOUGH IN OUR SYSTEM. AND AND I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YOU. WHAT WHAT HAVE.
I GOT. >> TO THEN GO TO 42,000? GO AHEAD. THIS IS YOUR LAST. QUESTION OKAY. THIS IS DAVID. DAVID, WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DECIDE TO DISAPPROVE THE SCHOOL
COMMITTEE BUDGET? WHAT'S THE. PROCEDURE FROM THERE? SO PROCEDURALLY IF THE COUNCIL DOES NOT APPROVE A BUDGET UH, FOR THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS WE GET SOMETHING CALLED A 1/12 BUDGET.
SO UH, EACH MONTH. UNTIL THE COUNCIL EVENTUALLY APPROVES THE BUDGET, WE GET AN APPROPRIATION EQUAL TO 1/12 OF OUR PRIOR YEAR APPROPRIATION FOR THE FIRST ROUGHLY TWO
MONTHS OF THE YEAR. WE CAN MANAGE THIS PRETTY WELL BECAUSE OF THE SUMMER, BECAUSE SORT OF JULY AND AUGUST WE DON'T NEED 1/12 OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE THE
WORK STARTING IN SEPTEMBER THAT STARTS TO BECOME A MORE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE, UM, AS WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THE COST OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AS ROSS MENTIONED EARLIER AND OTHER THINGS UM, WITH THAT
FUNDING. SO MECHANICALLY THOUGH, UH, WE EFFECTIVELY GET A 1/12 APPROPRIATION UH EACH MONTH. UNTIL WE APPROVE. UNTIL THE COUNCIL ULTIMATELY APPROVES THE BUDGET. OKAY. >> AND THAT'S. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
>> THAT'S RIGHT. THANK YOU. >> UM, ALL RIGHT, SO IT'S MY TURN AND I WOULD JUST NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT I ALWAYS, UM, ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO UTILIZE THEIR POWER. AND THE.
LIMITED POWER THAT WE REALLY HAVE IS THE BUDGET. AND SO I ALWAYS SAY LET'S BE ORGANIZED, LET'S BE STRATEGIC AND LET'S REALLY UTILIZE THE
BUDGET AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO. UM. >> SAY NO AND AND HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE UH, TO TO THAT BUT I JUST DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER HAD THE POLITICAL WILL AND I'VE BEEN HERE AT SEVEN YEARS AND EVERY.
EVERY YEAR I ALWAYS SAY NO TO THE BUDGET BECAUSE I NEVER BELIEVE IT'S MEETING THE MOMENT AND I ALWAYS ENCOURAGE THE CHAIR TO. UM, YOU KNOW, AT.
LEAST DON'T VOTE YES THE FIRST TIME BECAUSE IT'S JUST THE PAST. IT'S JUST A BLANK CHECK TO. BE HONEST WITH. >> YOU. IT IS AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP. WE EXPECT. >> I MEAN I'M BEING DRAMATIC HERE BUT. >> WE EXPECT. THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME
YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY THAN WE YOU KNOW WE WRITE THE CHECK, Y'ALL GET THE MONEY AND THEN YOU ACT LIKE Y'ALL DON'T EVEN KNOW US AND THEN Y'ALL DON'T COME BACK HERE UNTIL WELL, A FEW MONTHS LATER WHEN IT'S TIME
TO HOLD YOU ALL ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE BUDGET SEASON. AND THEN THAT'S IT. I LIKE. THIS RELATIONSHIP IS JUST NOT WORKING AND I THINK THAT THAT'S WHY YOU'VE GOTTEN AWAY WITH HALF THE THINGS YOU'VE GOTTEN AWAY WITH BECAUSE WE. HAVE NOT.
>> HAD THE. POLITICAL WILL ON THIS COUNCIL TO REALLY BE THE CHECKS AND BALANCES TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND I FEEL LIKE THAT IS DANGEROUS. AND YOU. >> KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE WE WE
SHOULD ALSO BE UM HELD ACCOUNTABLE. THAT'S MALPRACTICE ON OUR END BECAUSE. WE ARE. KNOWINGLY KNOWINGLY ALLOWING THIS TO CONTINUE AND.
YOU KNOW. SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE. AND SO I DID NOT PUT MY TIME ON I WENT ON A WHOLE TANGENT HERE SO. SORRY ABOUT THAT BUT I'M THE CHAIR I COULD DO THAT.
UH SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT I'M. CURIOUS I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT UM THE TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE. >> YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION IN FRONT OF YOU.
IS THAT THE TRANSPORTATION COSTS? LIKE HOW MANY ARE ENGLISH? I MEAN, HOW MANY ARE SPECIAL EDUCATION? HOW MANY ARE DOOR TO DOOR? SO THE. >> FACT THAT YOU. YOU DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION OR YOU. JUST DON'T KNOW IT WHICH IS IT?
SO THERE ARE CERTAIN PARTS OF THE INFORMATION I. HAVE IN OTHER PARTS I DON'T HAVE. TODAY BUT YOU DO HAVE IT SOMEWHERE. WE CAN CERTAINLY GET IT TO. YES. >> BUT IS IT A PRACTICE FOR DPS
TO HAVE ACCURATE INFORMATION? YES I. >> MEAN. YOU DID. IT IS A IT IS A PRACTICE FOR BP'S TO HAVE ACCURATE INFORMATION IF. THERE'S A PARTICULAR VIEW OF THAT INFORMATION THAT IS. >> MAYBE. DIFFERENT THAN THE WAY WE
PREPARE IT WILL PREPARE IT IN THAT DIFFERENT WAY. OKAY. >> SO I. >> WOULD. LIKE THAT CHRIS WANT TO KNOW FOR THE RECORD AND THEN OUR. OFFICE IS GOING TO BE DOING A MID-YEAR REVIEW AND END OF THE YEAR REVIEW ON YOUR BUDGET JUST
SO THAT WE CAN GET AHEAD OF THIS CONVERSATION AND WHERE WE. WANT TO HAVE IT. AND LOOKING AT THE OUTCOMES AND THE IMPACT ON STUDENT UM,
RESULTS. OKAY. >> UM AND SO MARY WILL BE USING YOUR DATA JUXTAPOSED TO HOW MUCH MONEY WE'VE SPENT AND WHERE WE'RE AT BECAUSE I. FEEL LIKE THAT'S WHAT REAL
ABILITY NEEDS TO START LOOKING LIKE AND I AND I FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOTTEN TOO COMFORTABLE IN THIS ADMINISTRATION. UM, AND I THINK THAT NOW IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REALLY
STEP INTO OUR POWER AND REALLY WORK. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DISTRICT. SO I JUST WANT TO PUT YOU I KNOW THAT I'LL BE HERE. IS COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE. AND SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT UM, THE THE. QUESTION REGARDING. THE PARA. THE PARAS THAT ARE BEING. THOSE ARE THE USUALLY THE LOWEST WAGE WORKERS RIGHT.
SO YEAH AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE USUALLY NATIVE LANGUAGE SPEAKERS. THEY'RE THE ONES WHO CAN IDENTIFY OFTENTIMES THE MOST WITH THE STUDENTS THAT ARE IN THE CLASSROOM. SO I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW.
>> DO WE END UP. WITH THEM BEING THE REASON YOU KNOW, THE CUTS WHY THAT COHORT. >> OF FOLKS. WELL, I MEAN THEY'RE DEFINITELY NOT UM I DON'T THINK WE'RE
SAYING THEY'RE THEY'RE DISPROPORTIONATELY BEING TARGETED FOR FOR REDUCTIONS. WELL UP ON THESE STREETS THAT'S HOW IT FEELS LIKE. SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU MAY NOT THINK SO BUT THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING. YES. >> AND I HEAR YOU ON THAT.
AND I THINK PART OF IT IS WE HAVE WE DO HAVE FEWER STUDENTS. RIGHT. >> SO UM WE ARE GOING TO NEED FEWER TEACHERS, FEWER PARAPROFESSIONALS, UM. >> AND. FEWER PEOPLE IN CENTRAL STAFF AND. >> FEWER. PEOPLE IN CENTRAL STAFF. RIGHT. >> SO THEN LET'S LOOK AT EQUITY RIGHT? BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON
THE. TOP AND ARE MAKING THE MOST THOSE FOLKS CAN EASILY JUST FIND WORK. ELSEWHERE AND THEN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE AT THE BOTTOM. RIGHT. >> THEY ALREADY HAVE EITHER
INTERRUPTED EDUCATION OR THEY'RE ALREADY HAVING A HARD TIME EVEN FINDING JOB PLACEMENT. THIS PROGRAM WAS CREATED SO THAT WE CAN YOU KNOW, AT LEAST WITH THE WITH THE PARENTS, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN CREATE A PIPELINE.
FOR UM. NATIVE LANGUAGE SPEAKERS AND AND MORE PEOPLE OF LOW INCOME TO ENTER THE WORKFORCE. RIGHT. THERE WAS A VERY UH, INTENTIONAL EFFORT. MADE AROUND PARAS AND AND AND
CLOSING THE EQUITY GAP IF YOU WILL. MHM. SO IF THAT IS TRUE. DAVID, HELP ME UNDERSTAND. WHY THE TARGET. ON CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION STAFF .
AND NOT. ON LIKE MORE. ON CENTRAL. >> STAFF YOU STILL HAVEN'T GIVEN ME THE NUMBER OF LIKE HOW MANY PEOPLE HOW MANY DOLLARS IN THE AMOUNT. OF ESSENTIAL STAFF.
YEAH I APOLOGIZE I HAVE THE THE NUMBER I HAVE MIXES THE DOLLARS WITH THE UM UH THE THE RAISES THAT LIKE UH UNION STAFF AND
OTHERS ARE GETTING SO I'M SEPARATING OUT THE DOLLARS FROM THE REDUCTIONS IN PARTICULAR AS WELL. NEED TO SEPARATE OUT FOR YOU UM FOR BOTH SCHOOLS AND CENTRAL OFFICE. UM, SO THERE ARE UH WHERE'S MY
NUMBER? HERE IT IS. UM SO THERE'S WE'RE ANTICIPATING ABOUT UM, 426 POSITION REDUCTIONS IN. SCHOOLS. >> ABOUT HALF OF WHOM ARE
COMING FROM UH, HALF OF WHICH ARE COMING FROM THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE CLOSING. UM, AND UH AND THEN APPROXIMATELY 150 POSITIONS UM,
AT CENTRAL OFFICE AND CENTRAL OFFICE BUDGETS. THE THING I WILL JUST SAY IS CENTRAL OFFICE LIKE LAYING ME OFF RIGHT IS 7% OF OUR OVERALL BUDGET.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF CENTRAL OFFICE EXPENDITURES ARE ON THINGS OF THE EUROPEAN. EXPERIENCE THE SCHOOLS. CUSTODIANS, RELATED SERVICE PROVIDERS 1 TO 1 PARENTS. YEAH BUT I ASKED FOR A DOLLAR AMOUNT.
CAN YOU GIVE ME THE DOLLAR AMOUNT. LIKE IN CENTRAL STAFF HOW MANY YOU KNOW ARE THERE LIKE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING OVER $100,000 A YEAR? ARE THERE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING 50,000 I MEAN LIKE YES I NEED A
DOLLAR AMOUNT I OUT OF THAT 150 RIGHT. CAN YOU GIVE ME THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WE'RE SAVING. FOR CUTS IN CENTRAL STAFF AND THE DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR CUTS THAT
WE'RE SAVING UM FOR SCHOOL SITE . >> STAFF. SO THE SCHOOL SITES STAFF ONE THE PROBLEM I HAVE IS I HAVE TO SEPARATE OUT THE RAISES THE STAFF ARE. GETTING FROM. >> THE REDUCTIONS. LIKE I CAN GIVE YOU A NUMBER THAT'S NOT RIGHT BUT I'M NOT
GOING TO DO THAT. UM, FOR CENTRAL. STAFF UH. I LEAVE MY BEST, UM.
MY BEST NUMBER. >> THAT CAN'T BE RIGHT. THAT'S NOT. >> WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR TEAM. I ASKED THIS QUESTION LIKE THREE HOURS AGO. >> WHY IS. NO THERE? >> UH, I'LL GO BACK. >> AND. I'LL GO BACK. I TOLD THEM. WHAT IN THE WORLD. ANSWER EVERYTHING FOR ME. RIGHT. THEY KNOW HOW ABOUT.
$13 MILLION. >> $13 MILLION FOR CENTRAL STAFF? >> YEAH. 13 MILLION. >> FOR CENTRALLY BUDGETED STAFF. BUT BUT 13 MILLION AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE A NUMBER FOR THE PARIS. SO IT'S UH FOR CENTRAL STAFF.
IT'S GIVE ME AN ESTIMATE. IT'S ABOUT SO IT'S ABOUT 150. POSITIONS VERSUS 420 AND STUDENTS I WAS I CAN COME BACK TO WHEN I NEED IT ON THURSDAY I'LL GIVE YOU A NUMBER.
I PROMISE. >> FOR. THE WHAT AM I COMING BACK FOR THOSE THE. >> HERE. THAT I'M HERE FOR WE'RE HERE. ON THIS FOR THOSE OKAY. YOU'RE ON 30 NO. OKAY I WAS LIKE I'M NOT. HERE ON THAT I'M NOT. I WILL I'LL GET IT TO YOU BY THURSDAY OKAY.
WELL I WILL IF. I'M HERE IF NOT YOU'LL STILL GET IT TO ME. YOU'LL SEND ME AN EMAIL. YEAH I'LL WORK WITH AND THEN WE'LL GET IT. >> TO YOU. UM ALL RIGHT. SO I GUESS MY. TIME WAS UP, SO I WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT.
SO I'M GOING TO, UH, GIVE MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ONE LAST QUESTION EACH AND THEN SOME. UM. >> AND MAYBE YOU WANT TO DO SOME CLOSING REMARKS ABOUT YOUR OUTLOOK. I'LL DO IT ALL AT ONCE. THANK YOU.
SO SOME JUST CLARIFYING QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY JUST. NEED TO. >> GET BACK TO US ON. UM, IF WE'RE PROJECTING 426 POSITIONS CUT AND YOU'RE SAYING
HALF OF THEM WILL BE FROM. SCHOOL CLOSURES APPROXIMATELY. RIGHT. BUT THERE THERE'S AN ASSUMPTION THERE MAYBE PEOPLE LISTENING IN THAT THAT MEANS OH WELL IT DOESN'T MATTER THE SCHOOL IS CLOSING ANYWAY.
THAT MEANS 213 TEACHERS AT SCHOOLS THAT WILL BE CLOSING HAVE ALREADY BEEN PLACED FOR SEPTEMBER AT OTHER SCHOOLS OR ARE THEY RIGHT NOW IN A
POSITION WHERE THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE FOR SEPTEMBER? I KNOW WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO. >> BE GOING THROUGH. >> THE PROCESS OF PLACING. >> THEM RIGHT. SO AND THAT'S MY QUESTION. WE CAN CALL IT WHAT WE. WANT AND WE KNOW. PERMANENT TEACHERS CAN'T JUST BE FIRED.
THEY WE HAVE TO FIND A POSITION FOR THEM IN THE SYSTEM SOMEWHERE. HOW MANY TEACHERS RIGHT NOW TODAY DO WE NOT KNOW WHERE THEIR POSITION WILL BE FOR SEPTEMBER? YEAH I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER
WITH ME TODAY BUT. OKAY BUT. >> THAT WOULD BE GOOD. AND OF THE OTHER 213 POSITIONS THAT AREN'T. COMING FROM SCHOOLS THAT ARE BEING CLOSED, THAT MEANS OF 119 SCHOOL THAT'S ON AVERAGE LIKE
TWO POSITIONS PER SCHOOL ARE BEING CUT RIGHT. SO WHERE THOSE TEACHERS. GOING IN DO. >> WE HAVE A LIST OF EACH OF THOSE WHAT THOSE. POSITIONS ARE.
YES OKAY CAN I. GET A LIST OF YEP YEAH ALSO JUST SO EVERYONE'S CLEAR AND I GET THAT YOU KNOW CENTRALLY BUDGETED POSITIONS ARE DIFFERENT FROM CENTRAL STAFF.
CAN YOU ALSO GET US A LIST OF EXACTLY WHAT IS CONSIDERED A CENTRALLY BUDGET POSITION SO EVERYONE IS CLEAR ABOUT YOU KNOW THE 1 TO 1 PARAS YEAH CUSTODIANS ALL THAT SO IT'S VERY CLEAR TO NOT JUST THE
PUBLIC BUT OUR COLLEAGUES. SO WHEN WE GO INTO BUDGET SEASON AND OF THAT NUMBER YOU SAID 13 MILLION MANY MUCH MOST OF THAT 13 MILLION IS CENTRALLY BUDGETED POSITIONS NOT CENTRAL
. STAFF CORRECT CORRECT CORRECT. SO THAT MEANS THERE ARE NO POSITIONS LIKE IN THE SUPERINTENDENT. SO I'M NOT MAYBE NO BUT VERY FEW POSITION. SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR TO
PEOPLE THAT WHEN WE SAY WE'VE CUT MONEY FROM THE CENTRAL BUDGET IT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE CUTTING IT MEANS WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN CUTTING CUSTODIANS OR BUS MONITOR 1 TO 1 PARAS.
SO I JUST WANT A CLEAR LIST OF EXACTLY WHAT DPS CALLS ESSENTIALLY BUDGETED POSITION AND OF OUR PROVISIONAL TEACHERS THAT ARE HIRED THIS YEAR WITH
THE CONTRACT THAT WILL EXPIRE. OBVIOUSLY EVERY PROVISIONAL TEACHER'S CONTRACT EXPIRES AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. HOW MANY OF OUR PROVISIONAL TEACHERS DID NOT RECEIVE AN RA? A LETTER OF.
REASONABLE ASSURANCE. UH FOR YOU? >> AND COULD YOU ALSO LET ME KNOW HOW MANY UM, PROVISIONAL TEACHERS WE HAVE ON THE SYSTEM SO I CAN JUST COMPARE. THAT AND ONE. LAST DATE WHEN I WAS I CLOSE IT
OUT HERE. Q YOU DID SAY AND SO I JUST WOULD LOVE A CLARIFICATION THAT YOU BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A CORRELATION BETWEEN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
SHORTFALL AND ESSER FUNDING. ENDING I DO OKAY. AND COULD. >> YOU. EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHERE YOU. >> SEE. THAT CORRELATION? I THINK UM DURING ESSER BOTH
FOR REASONS INSIDE THE DISTRICT AND CONDITIONAL FOR THE JOB MARKET IN EDUCATION MORE BROADLY AS EVERY DISTRICT OR MANY DISTRICTS HAD ESSER
FUNDING UM WE UH. GOT USED TO A CERTAIN DEGREE OF LIKES OR VACANCY RATE OR SAVINGS. RIGHT. AND I THINK THE DEGREE TO WHICH
OUR POSITIONS FILLED THIS YEAR WAS MORE THAN WE EXPECTED. RIGHT. SO UM. WHAT WE GREW BY A NUMBER OF POSITIONS WHEN WE HAD ESSER
DOLLARS BUT OUR R FILL RATE ALSO DECLINED RIGHT IN PART BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF RETIREMENT DURING THE PANDEMIC IN PART BECAUSE WE HAD MORE POSITIONS AND WE DIDN'T HAVE PEOPLE TO FILL THEM AS WE
REDUCED THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS COMING OFF OF ESSER, WE ANTICIPATED THE CHANGE IN OUR FILL RATE BUT THE ACTUAL RESULT WAS MORE THAN WE EXPECTED. DO WE HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER
OF POSITIONS THAT WERE UM USED FOR ESSER FUNDING? YES. >> EVEN THOUGH. ALL UM LEADERS WERE TOLD DON'T USE IT FOR STAFFING KNOWING THAT THIS IS CLIFF SPENDING. YES I THINK WHEN WE WHEN YOU HAVE THAT MUCH MONEY TO SPEND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HIRE
SOME STAFF. BUT I KNOW A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE'RE GOING TO COUNCILOR WEBER. ABOUT THANK YOU. OH, Y'ALL GETTING. WRITTEN UP TOMORROW. OKAY. >> UM. >> DON'T GET TOO EXCITED, COUNCIL WEBER. YOU'RE NOT NEXT.
I HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING. REAL QUICK BEFORE YOU GO. UM. >> BUT I WANT TO ADD TO. THE LIST. UH, COUNCILOR MURPHY. I LIKE THAT BROKEN DOWN BY THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT THE
INDIVIDUAL MAKES AND, UM. YEAH. >> THE DOLLAR AMOUNT. I WANT TO KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH THAT SALARY IS. I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. UM, FROM A EQUITY STANDPOINT, LIKE OUR LOWEST WAGE WORKERS
ARE USUALLY THE FIRST TO GO AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF OUR CUSTODIANS AND OTHER FOLKS IN I WANT TO I WANT TO SEE THOSE CUTS UP THERE. ALL THE. WAY UP THERE.
SO IF THEY'RE NOT THERE THEN I WE CAN MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER. I'LL BE BRIEF. UH, BUT I MEAN I I FEEL LIKE I MEAN THESE KINDS OF DISCUSSIONS
ABOUT THIS REMIND ME OF THERE'S THIS OLD JOKE, UH, WHERE SOMEONE'S GRANDMOTHER GOES TO A RESTAURANT AND THEY SAY HOW WAS WAS IT? AND SHE SAYS THE FOOD WAS TERRIBLE AND THE PORTIONS WERE
SO SMALL. UH, AND IT'S LIKE WE'RE WE SPEND MORE AND THE SCORE THE SCORES ARE TERRIBLE. UM, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE
WE'RE IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE SPENDING TOO MUCH AND THEN WE'RE NOT YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GETTING THE RESULTS. SO THERE'S LIKE WE'RE TRYING TO REDUCE COSTS AND PEOPLE TALK ABOUT ONE I THINK WITH 1.7
BILLION FOR NEXT YEAR UH WITH EXTERNAL FUNDING IT'S. LIKE WE'RE. >> OVER 1.8 RIGHT. UM UH I GUESS SO I MEAN FOR FOR DAVID LIKE IN TERMS. OF WHEN WE HEAR NUMBERS LIKE YOU KNOW, MARY WENT OVER.
UH AND THE THE AMOUNT WE SPEND IS SO MUCH LIKE I JUST MY QUESTION IS ARE WE ARE WE REALLY SO BAD AT THIS THAT WE
WE WE CAN'T DELIVER FOR OUR KIDS OR YOU KNOW, IS THERE SOME LIKE ARE. >> WE. COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LOWELL OR LAWRENCE OR MISSISSIPPI WE HEAR HOW WE HEAR HOW LIKE THE
MAJORITY OF KIDS IN OUR SYSTEM ARE EITHER ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS OR HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS OR OR BOTH LIKE IS THERE'S SOMETHING LIKE HOW DO WE EXPLAIN AT THE AT A BASE LEVEL
TO A YOU KNOW TO A FIFTH GRADER LIKE WHY THIS IS WHY WE KEEP WE KEEP SEEING THESE NUMBERS OR WHY WE'RE SEEING THESE NUMBERS NOW WE'RE WE'RE YOU KNOW, WE'RE UP TO $36,000 A STUDENT IN.
NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. I I THINK THERE ARE I THINK THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT CAN BOTH BE TRUE THAT MAKE THIS REALLY HARD. NUMBER ONE IS I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT THESE RESULTS
ARE UNACCEPTABLE RIGHT. AND THAT UH, NO ONE WHO WORKS AT BP'S SHOULD BE SETTING OUT TO ACHIEVE THE RESULTS WE'RE ACHIEVING RIGHT NOW. I DON'T THINK THERE ARE VERY
MANY PEOPLE WHO WHO I WORK WITH WHO WOULD DISAGREE WITH ME ON THAT. RIGHT? I THINK WHAT CAN ALSO BE TRUE RIGHT IS THAT THERE IS A DEGREE
OF UH, NUANCE TO EVERY STORY THAT'S IMPORTANT TO DISCUSS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS. RIGHT. AND SO UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY WE SPEND RIGHT,
UH, COMPARED TO OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY OR OTHER PLACES, RIGHT LIKE RIGHT LIKE UH. WE ALSO. PAY A LOT MORE THAN.
THOSE PLACES AND WE BELIEVE IN THAT AS A THING WE SHOULD DO WE HAVE A HIGH COST OF LIVING IN BOSTON. IT'S PART OF WHY IT COSTS A BUNCH OF MONEY. WE'VE INVESTED ALL THIS MONEY IN TRANSPORTATION FOR. AS MY COLLEAGUES SITTING WITH ME.
KNOW BETTER THAN ME, RIGHT? HAVE TO DO. >> WITH A LONG STANDING LEGACY OF DESEGREGATION IN BOSTON THAT WE'RE STILL GRAPPLING WITH. RIGHT. AND SO I THINK THERE CAN THERE CAN BOTH BE TRUTH TO THESE
RESULTS. RIGHT? WHICH THEY'RE NOT THEY'RE NOT MARY'S NUMBERS. SHE TOOK THEM FROM THE DC WEBSITE. THEY'RE JUST THE NUMBERS RIGHT. UM THESE RESULTS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE AND WE NEED TO BE
BETTER. AND THERE IS THIS COMPLEXITY TO THE AMOUNT WE SPEND RIGHT AS WE TALK ABOUT AND PULL APART THESE INDIVIDUAL NUMBERS WHY ARE WE REDUCING THIS?
WHY ARE WE REDUCING THAT? WHY ARE WE REDUCING THIS? WHY ARE WE SPENDING MONEY ON THAT RIGHT. THERE'S ALL OF THIS NUANCE AND THE DETAIL AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'RE AT $1.7 BILLION, RIGHT?
AND THE CHALLENGE I HAVE IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PARSE OUT $1.7 BILLION INTO A CONVERSATION THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT GETS AT
THE GOAL RATE OF IMPROVING STUDENT OUTCOMES. NOT GREAT ANSWER, BUT. THAT'S NOT. YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST IT'S A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION EVERY TIME. SO THANKS CHAIR. THANK YOU COUNCILOR WEBER. AND BEFORE. >> I GO I'M JUST GOING TO UH,
DO PUBLIC TESTIMONY. YOU'VE BEEN INCREDIBLY PATIENT. SORRY THAT WE WAITED. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT YOU WERE HERE FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY UNTIL YOU. I DIDN'T REALIZE EITHER. YEAH. >> OH, OKAY. GREAT. >> SO YOU JUST GOT INSPIRED. SO AWESOME. SO.
UM, LYNN WALTERS. UM. >> YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. OKAY. >> UM, THANKS. SO MUCH. UM, TO THE CITY COUNCIL. UM. UH. >> MY NAME IS QUINN ELLEN WALTERS. UM. >> I'M A BOARD. ATTORNEY IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS.
UM, AND A MOTHER OF A TODDLER WHO I HOPE ONE DAY WILL. BECOME. >> UH, BOSTON. PUBLIC SCHOOL GRADUATE JUST LIKE MYSELF. I'M ALSO AN ESL LEARNER. UM. >> I IMMIGRATED TO THE US. ABOUT 31 YEARS AGO THIS MONTH. UM. >> I WENT TO KING OPEN.
UM AND THEN EVENTUALLY. MY, UH, ENDED. UP AT BOSTON LATIN AND AFTER A STINT IN RANDOLPH PUBLIC SCHOOLS, UM AND I CAME IN HERE . UM. >> TO THE. SECOND THIS FLOOR BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING FOR. >> THE DUNKIN DONUTS AND THIS IS NOT.
>> A JOKE BECAUSE I REALLY WAS. UM, YOU KNOW, I CAME TO GET A, UH, SOME COPIES OF THE BABY'S BIRTH CERTIFICATES. UM, AND THEN I SAID, OH, I'LL JUST SAY HI TO MY, UM, FRIENDS THAT ARE ON THE CITY COUNCIL. UM, GIVE THEM MY HOLIDAY CARD
AND THEN UM, ONE OF THEM SAID ONE OF THEM HAPPENED TO BE IN HERE AND UM, I THOUGHT OKAY, THIS IS RELEVANT TO ME. UM, SO I GUESS MY TESTIMONY IS AROUND UM, REGARDING YOU KNOW,
I'M A LITTLE BIT SHOCKED AS A NEW PARENT AND AS AN IMMIGRANT AND AS AN ESL LEARNER THAT. >> WE ARE. PRIORITIZING, UH, PROM OVER, UM, SPECIAL EDUCATION. LIKE HOW WOULD THAT BE AN
EXEMPTION. LIKE OR. UM OR IF I MISUNDERSTOOD THAT, HOW DID WE GET INTO A $50 MILLION BUDGET SHORTFALL? UM, LIKE HOW DID THAT JUST HAPPEN LIKE WE HAVE I TOOLS
RIGHT NOW? UM, I'M A TECH FOUNDER. UM, THAT'S NOT MY TRAINING, BUT THAT'S HOW I GOT INTO IT BECAUSE, UM, I JUST HAD A BABY AND I HAD A MASSIVE HEMORRHAGE AT MY UM AND I HAD POSTPARTUM
DEPRESSION, WHICH IS HOW MY BABY ENDED UP IN EARLY INTERVENTION. SO I'M ALSO AN EARLY INTERVENTION PARENT ADVOCATE. AND I WANT TO SAY THAT LIKE WITH THE WELL-MEANING MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WITH THE QUESTIONS SOME. >> OF.
Y'ALL ARE TOO MUCH IN THE WEEDS AND NOT UM ENOUGH IN UM UH LET'S. LIKE LOOK AT. >> THE ARC OF THE UNIVERSE, RIGHT? UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EQUALITY AND JUSTICE HERE AND THEN YOU GUYS ARE GRAPPLING
OVER UH, LINE ITEM BUDGETS INVOLVING CUTS TO AS UM UH UM COUNCILWOMAN MEJIA UM, ALLUDED TO THESE ARE PARAPROFESSIONALS WHOSE JOBS WOULD BE CUT. UM, SO I WOULD JUST SAY LET'S
THINK ABOUT THE HEALTH EQUITY ELEMENT OF LIKE WHO IS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION IN THE FIRST PLACE. THERE ARE PARENTS AND CHILDREN WHO DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES, UH, SUFFER FROM STRUCTURAL RACISM AND THEY. >> UH.
CONTINUE WILL CONTINUE TO ADD TO FUTURE BUDGET SHORTFALLS IF WE DON'T ADDRESS MATERNAL UM HEALTH AND NUTRITION. AND SUPPORT AND THOSE ARE INTERSECTIONAL ISSUES. SO INSTEAD OF NITPICKING I WOULD ADVISE EVERYBODY TO.
JUST TAKE A LOOK AT YOURSELF BECAUSE WE WENT THROUGH THIS IN 2003. UM, I HAD TO START OUR PROGRAM FOR MY SISTER SCHOOL FARRAGUT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ART BUDGET AND I JUST LIKED ART AND THAT'S WHAT GOT
ME INTO HARVARD. LIKE I WASN'T DOING IT FOR CREDIT. I JUST THOUGHT LET'S TEACH SOME ART TO SOME STUDENTS. AND THAT WAS 23 YEARS AGO. SO I AGREE WITH UM, EVERYBODY WHO IS FRUSTRATED BECAUSE UH,
I'M VERY ANGRY. UM, AND UH I'M OVER MY TIME SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I RESPECT EVERYBODY'S HARD WORK. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE. AND BEING INSPIRED TO SPEAK.
I FEEL LIKE WE LEARN MORE WHEN WE GET TO HEAR FROM THOSE THAT WE SERVE. SO THANK YOU FOR FOR DOING JUST THAT. UM AND SO I WILL I WILL GO NEXT I'M NOT GOING TO HOLD YOUR
HOSTAGE BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S 5:00. OH MY GOD IS A. 5:00 OH I HAD TWO MINUTES OKAY SO I'LL JUST SAY THIS LIKE WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL I HAD HOME EC.
ART I HAD EVERYTHING. EVEN THOUGH I WAS A LOW INCOME YOU KNOW, I WENT TO I LIVED IN A VERY, YOU KNOW, ROUGH NEIGHBORHOOD BUT I STILL HAD.
UH I STILL HAD THINGS THAT I COULD ASPIRE TO DO AND TO BE AND THEY WERE INVESTMENTS MADE IN MY LOW INCOME SCHOOLS. RIGHT.
AND I FEEL LIKE MAKING $36,000 PER STUDENT MAKE THAT MAKE SENSE WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE RETURN ON THOSE INVESTMENTS AND
I THINK UM, WE ARE AT A VERY CRITICAL JUNCTURE. IN OUR TIME HERE ON. >> THE COUNCIL, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE GOING TO BE THE BEST DISTRICT IN THE COUNTRY. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO START MAKING SOME REALLY DIFFICULT
DECISIONS AND THOSE DECISIONS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE BASED ON WHAT IS RIGHT FOR. STUDENTS. >> UM, AND NOT WHAT IS ADVANTAGEOUS FOR POLITICAL, YOU KNOW, SAFETY. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S HARD,
DAVID AND I AND I AND I FEEL A AN IMMENSE. SENSE OF. RESPONSIBILITY UM BECAUSE AS THE CHAIR OF EDUCATION, UM, PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO LOOK TO ME TO WHAT AM I GOING TO SAY
ABOUT WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU ARE NOT DOING? AND SO AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM DOING THAT BECAUSE I'VE DONE IT IN THE PAST EVEN WHEN I WASN'T THE CHAIR. BUT NOW THAT I HAVE THIS ARE
THIS, YOU KNOW, RESPONSIBILITY I CAN'T LOOK AWAY AND JUST KEEP THINKING THAT APPROVING A BUDGET THAT DOES NOT REALLY REFLECT THE MOMENT IS, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT. >> THING TO DO.
SO WE HAVEN'T EVEN YOU KNOW, WE JUST. >> STARTED. THE PROCESS AND WE'RE ALREADY STARTING OFF AT NO. LIKE UM THERE WASN'T A LOT IS GOING TO HAVE TO CHANGE TO GET
ME TO SAY YES TO THE BUDGET. UM, REGARDLESS OF WHAT PEOPLE THINK UM AND I. WILL I WILL NOT ASK ANY MORE QUESTIONS. I GOT A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO GOT QUESTIONS THAT WILL
MAKE SURE THAT WE FOLLOW UP. ON UM AND LIKE QUEENIE, YOU KNOW I'M AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER. MY MOM DID NOT SPEAK ENGLISH. I HAD TO BE THE OFFICIAL TRANSLATOR. I BARELY GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL.
THANK GOD MARCUS WAS. NOT AROUND WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE I PROBABLY WOULD STILL BE IN HIGH. SCHOOL RIGHT. NOW IF THAT WAS THE CASE. AND SO THIS IS ALL VERY. PERSONAL TO ME AND. IT'S HARD.
TO SEPARATE. THE PERSONAL FROM THE. PROFESSIONAL AND THE POLITICS OF IT. UM AND. EVERY TIME. VP WALKS INTO THIS CHAMBER WITH A BEAUTIFUL.
POWERPOINT PRESENTATION AND WITH THINGS THAT I SOMETIMES DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND HALF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE SAYING. UM AND. >> I KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT FOLLOW ME DON'T UNDERSTAND HALF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE SAYING EITHER. LIKE WE HAVE TO STOP DOING THAT.
WE HAVE TO COME HERE. WE HAVE TO BE REAL. WE HAVE TO BE HONEST. WE HAVE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE AND WE HAVE TO BE READY TO SAY HERE'S THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER. HERE'S WHAT WE NEED TO GET OUT
OF THIS HOLE. AND IT SHOULDN'T BE ANOTHER $36,000. PER STUDENT. TO GET THE TYPE OF OUTCOMES THAT MARY SHARED WITH US THAT JUST IS NOT GOING TO WORK AT LEAST NOT FOR ME.
UM. >> SO WITH. THAT UM, THIS HEARING ON DOCKET. 0200 IS ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU.