‘Making difficult choices’: Brockton public schools unveil plan to cut into 2024 budget deficit

BROCKTON, Mass. — Officials in Brockton provided an update Friday afternoon regarding the work they’ve reportedly done to help balance about a $20 million budget deficit for the 2024 school year.

Acting Superintendent Dr. James Cobbs and the Brockton Public Schools say they’ve identified $10 million in spending reductions for the remainder of the fiscal year 2024, which ends on June 30, to help cut into an expected $19-25 million deficit.

As a way to save money, Brockton officials have found what they call “unspent funding sources” ranging from just over $1,000 to as much as $2 million. To help offset the expected budget deficit for the fiscal year, a third-party reviewer identified additional funding sources, which include:

• $1.7 million from McKinney Vento, which provides federal money for assistance to homeless students and staff.
• $1.2 million from the School Choice Revolving Fund, which allows students to attend schools out of the district.
• $7 million from the Circuit Breaker, which provides financial assistance to school districts to offset the cost of delivering special education services to students.
• $5.195 million from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, which was enacted in March 2021 to provide additional funding for schools to respond adequately to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are working diligently both internally and with our state and local partners to mitigate the budget challenges we are facing and ensure we’re on a path toward a balanced budget both this year and in the years to come,” Acting Superintendent Cobbs said. “To achieve that goal, however, means making difficult choices while keeping students’ learning and safety at the forefront of every decision we make.”

District officials say they will also be freezing unspent funds for the remainder of the fiscal year to provide additional savings, the most significant of which are:

• Tuition to Norfolk County Agricultural School: $1.6 million
• Technology hardware, including deferring the purchase of new student laptops to a later date: $2 million
• Deferral of facilities and grounds maintenance: $495,000
• Reduction of contract services: $1.39 million
• Abstaining from the purchase of certain instructional supplies: $940,000

Administrators say they’re trying to cut costs in ways that won’t affect students’ day-to-day experiences. Additional savings will be derived from delaying or canceling hiring, reducing spending related to travel and professional development, and more, according to officials.

This deficit comes just one year after $18.3 million went missing from the Brockton schools’ 2023 fiscal budget. The superintendent was placed on leave following that announcement and an independent auditor was called in to help identify shortfalls in the budget.

“Beyond the ongoing work to balance the current year’s budget, the district is also looking ahead to fiscal year 2025, which begins on July 1, 2024, and is making strategic changes to the organizational structure at the central administration level,” a Brockton Public Schools spokesperson said in a statement.

Despite the cuts, officials say the spending reductions will not impact the plan to increase security staff at Brockton High School.

For the full list of planned budget reductions, click here.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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