The majority of Boston Public Schools will lose staff after a new budget was approved by the school committee Wednesday.
The Boston School Committee voted 5-2 in favor of the $1.5 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2025 at a virtual meeting.
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About 70% of schools will lose staffing, including cuts to music, the arts and libraries.
"I'm now in a school with 500 students or more, and my position is still being cut based on budgetary reasons," said Tracey Billy, who has worked with libraries in Boston Public Schools for over a decade.
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The new budget includes Mayor Michelle Wu's promise of $81 million in funding from the city. However, there will also be a loss of millions of dollars in ESSER funds, which are the post-pandemic federal stimulus dollars that helped schools make ends meet in previous budgets.
"The FY25 budget represents a major step forward as we fundamentally shift in our practices through the districtwide implementation of Inclusive Education, and this is just the beginning of the work we must do over the next several years to deliver on the high quality experience every student deserves," Superintendent Mary Skipper said in a statement. "If we truly want to improve student outcomes we must carefully and deliberately build the foundation of a district that meets the unique needs of every student in every school no matter how they learn, what language they speak or what neighborhood they call home. I appreciate and thank members of the Boston School Committee and Mayor Wu for their support of this budget. This was a months-long and collaborative process with schools, parents, students and educators that will allow us to continue our transformative work and become a district that meets the needs of all students."
The district said 94% of expenditures in the budget "will be allocated for student services."
Schools like the Thomas Edison K8 School in Boston's Brighton neighborhood could lose about 18% of their staff.
The cuts follow a decline in enrollment. Boston Public Schools has lost about 8,000 students over the past decade, increased busing and facilities costs and skyrocketing student needs costs, like for special education and English Language Learners.
Skipper said there will be an emphasis on equitable literacy, inclusive education and team-based learning.
