BOSTON — The Boston School Committee is scheduled to vote Wednesday night on a budget proposal that could eliminate hundreds of positions across the district for the upcoming school year, including potential staff reductions for paraprofessionals and multilingual educators.
The proposed cuts have drawn sharp criticism from the Teachers Union, which argues the reductions will most heavily impact the district’s most vulnerable students. Opponents are calling for the city to increase the school budget by 1%, an investment totaling $48 million, to maintain current staffing levels.
Dozens of teachers, students, and parents gathered for a rally outside the school district offices in Roxbury on Tuesday night to protest the potential losses. The demonstration followed a City Council meeting earlier that day, at which stakeholders voiced their opposition to the fiscal plan during public comment.
A student participating in the public comment portion of the Tuesday meeting questioned the long-term effects of reducing staff support.
“How can we attract good teachers if there are fewer jobs and less support, when schools lose funding, families notice, they see schools struggling, and they leave,” one student said.
The rally participants emphasized the need for an increase in funding to preserve existing positions. Demonstrators chanted, “Give our schools 1% more.”
The Teachers Union has stated that the requested $48 million is necessary to maintain current staffing levels and protect resources for students who rely on specialized instruction.
Following the School Committee’s vote Wednesday night, the budget proposal will move to the City Council for a final vote.
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