In the face of an $8.2 million budget deficit, Public Schools of Brookline administrators proposed sweeping cuts — including slashing the district’s performing arts program and removing half the instructional aides in first grade classrooms — at a School Committee meeting Thursday.
At the request of the School Committee, district leaders put forward about $9 million worth of options to cut spending, hoping to address the projected budget deficit for fiscal year 2026, which starts on July 1. The School Committee must decide and vote on a final budget before Town Meeting in May.
The proposals are not final, but if approved, would lead to the elimination of dozens of staff and educator positions and major programmatic cuts.
Jodi Fortuna, the district’s deputy superintendent of teaching and learning, presented the “strategies for cost reduction” alongside deputy superintendent of administration and finance Susan Givens.
“This is one of the most incredibly hard things that I’ve had to do in my career,” Fortuna said at the meeting. “Every one of these things I’m about to discuss with you will have a student impact.”
Possible cuts
Administrators recommended major cuts to the Conservatory program, Brookline’s performing arts program, which offers voice, instrumental and music production courses during the school day for fourth through eighth graders. The proposal to eliminate seven performing arts positions would save more than $700,000, administrators say. The proposed restructuring would reduce school day music instruction from twice weekly to once weekly.
Kenny Kozol, the district’s performing arts coordinator, told School Committee members the potential cuts would likely lead to the end of town-wide orchestra, band and chorus groups at the K-8 level.
Administrators suggested eliminating positions for half of the teacher’s aides in first-grade classrooms across Brookline — a move they estimated will save the district about $852,000.
They also suggested a pause on Project Discovery and STAR Academy, two non-extended school year summer programs. Project Discovery provides reading, writing and word study instruction for students entering first through sixth grades. STAR Academy is a summer program for METCO students and English language learners in Brookline.
Another proposed change would reduce or consolidate class sections at Brookline High School, targeting class sizes of 15 to 25 students.
Administrators also recommended more than doubling the “materials fee,” which district employees pay for their children to attend Brookline schools, from $3,523 to $8,000.
Administrators suggested reducing the number of math specialists in the district by three full-time employees and one part-time employee.
Administrators proposed stopping the school district’s support for Brookline Adult and Community Education, a public, non-credit education program.
Other changes floated include eliminating middle school sports, restructuring the district’s custodial and food service staff, charging more fees for student transportation and eliminating some curriculum coordinator and Learning Center positions.
The proposed cuts would also mean the district would not hire for more than a dozen new positions in special education and English language learning, which administrators previously said were vital for meeting state requirements.
Of the nearly $9 million worth of proposed cuts, $4.3 million related to the office of administration and finance. The remaining $4.6 million related to the offices of student services and teaching and learning.
Reactions
The budget deficit, which was first presented to the School Committee in December, is the result of both lower-than-expected revenue and higher-than-expected costs, according to Givens. A large portion of the deficit is due to an unexpected increase in health insurance costs, which has affected both the town and the schools, Givens told the School Committee in January. School administrators also say the costs of special education and transportation have increased.
The district is also facing an administrative and budget crisis in the current fiscal year, which has led to gaps in some special education services. An audit of the district, which was approved by the School Committee on Thursday, is expected to examine whether those issues are contributing to the deficit for fiscal year 2026.
Justin Brown, the president of the Brookline Educators Union, urged School Committee members not to make cuts and to fully fund schools.
“We are tired of finding ourselves here year after year, facing budget shortfalls, threats of layoffs, program eliminations and the anxiety of the ever-lurking question: Will I and my team members have a job next year?” Brown said.
The cuts proposed Thursday aimed to affect students as little as possible, said Superintendent Linus Guillory.
“We are exploring every possible avenue to minimize the impact on our team, but given the size of the deficit we have to be prepared for difficult choices,” Guillory said at the meeting.
Carolyn Thall, a School Committee member who was elected in 2024 and formerly sat on the Advisory Committee, criticized some of the proposed cuts.
“There was nothing in here that touches central administration,” Thall said. “I’d like to know what we would save if discretionary raises were paused this year.”
The School Committee will continue considering the budget at its next meeting on March 6.