Brookline’s elite educational system has endured significant harm over many years. After losing its K-5 World Language program and literacy coaches last year as the result of a budgetary shortfall, Brookline’s school system is again facing a funding gap: this time $8.2M for next year’s budget. While some preliminary cuts have been made to reduce this gap, it should be clear: any cuts to the budget or efforts to privatize the workforce will have profoundly negative impacts on our educators, our students, and our schools.

We are calling on members of the Brookline Select Board to move money from its certified free cash to increase the allocation to the school department to ensure that our schools are fully-funded and fully-staffed.

Brookline voters approved an override for FY 2024-2026 based on the belief that this would maintain the school system’s excellence. It appears that PSB administration significantly underestimated the amount of money it would need, however, for FY 2026 by a little over $7M. Combined with the Town allocating about $900K less than promised, the schools are now looking at a budget gap of $8.2M.

An $8.2M budget shortfall is a threat to school stability. `

The Town’s audit of PSB to determine why they were so off in their projections is an important first piece of the puzzle. A look at how the Town provides enough revenue to maintain a top-flight school system is also necessary, and we hope that the Select Board’s Expenditure and Revenue Study Committee is a step in that direction.

However, right now we need the Town's commitment to fully close the budget gap to maintain the first-class schools that Brookline students, families, and educators depend on.

The Town has made prudent financial decisions to put itself in position to have the necessary funds available. We believe that a collaborative approach from unions, community members, and town officials is necessary to avert the crisis of dramatic cuts to the schools and to ensure the Town is on strong footing moving forward. However, It is hard to maintain a collaborative approach when the Town is threatening such drastic measures.