28 Braintree School Jobs At Risk Amid Budget, Enrollment Concerns

BRAINTREE, MA — Twenty-eight teaching jobs in Braintree will be eliminated under the school committee's proposed budget, but most of those job losses are because of enrollment declines, according to Superintendent Frank Hackett.

Because of the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, school committee members proposed a $74.68 million budget. It's a 2 percent increase from last year, but Hackett said it's still $2 million less than what's needed to maintain the school's current level of service.

He also said 19 of the 28 cuts would happen even if there wasn't a budget crisis. Those cuts are because of declining enrollment at the elementary and middle school levels, Hackett said. At the middle school level, the district expects enrollment to drop by 80-100 students next year.

"As much as we don't want to make any reductions at all, that is not the situation we are in," Hackett said at Monday's school committee meeting. "We are in a position where there are several positions we'd reduce regardless of the economic situation."

Proposed cuts due to enrollment include 10 middle school teachers and nine elementary school teachers.

The other nine proposed cuts are because of the budget shortfall and include one high school teacher and eight specialist teachers at the elementary school level. This means there would be one reading specialist and one part-time math specialist remaining in each of the schools.

Hackett said he thinks the school department remains in good position for next year. He said the district was at risk of losing more specialist teachers, but Braintree Public Schools avoided those cuts thanks to an additional $1.7 million in federal COVID-19 relief.

Parents who spoke at the meeting said they were worried about specialist positions being eliminated. Parents said students need extra help for reading and math, especially after months of in-person learning lost from the pandemic.

"I am extremely concerned regarding the loss of reading specialists and math specialist at the elementary level," parent Catherine Summers said. "I purchased my home in Braintree when my daughter was 4 months old knowing the school system was going to support her, and I now have big doubts about that."

School Committee member Jen Dolan said she wants restoring specialist teachers to be the first priority if more school funding is secured.

"Our specialist play a really important role in engaging our students on a daily basis," Dolan said. "I'd really like to see that on the top of the list."

The proposed school budget now sits before the Braintree Town Council. The town charter allows the council to reduce the budget, but they cannot increase it. The council's ways and means committee is scheduled to review the budget at its May 13 meeting.