The Brockton City Council approved a budget for Brockton Public Schools but cut $7 million from the district’s transportation budget, which funds an in-house bus depot that has contributed to the district’s financial issues. Initially, BPS requested $18 million for transportation costs, but the Council approved $11 million and set aside $7 million for later use.
Mayor Robert Sullivan asked the council for $6 million less than what the district requested, totaling about $226 million for schools outside of transportation. Last year, the City Council approved a $231 million school budget. Councilor John Lally presented an amendment to the budget, moving $7 million into the city’s general fund for future use.
The in-house bus services have been a financial burden on the district, with expenses almost double the budgeted amount. The School Committee was advised that taking their own fleet of buses would save money, but it ended up costing more. Last year, the district overspent by nearly $3 million on transportation.
While the district ended the fiscal year with a small surplus due to identifying unspent state and federal grants, the Council criticized the mayor for unnecessary spending, particularly in transportation. Suggestions were made to eliminate private contracts and pay for transportation by the mile.
The Council also addressed a costly preschool schedule change approved by the superintendent, which resulted in over $3 million in transportation costs for the city. Surplus funds from the police and fire departments were used to cover the expenses.
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