Boston Public Schools students protested planned budget cuts Monday, with more than 1,000 walking out of classes and marching to the Boston Common.
Organizers posted a letter on Twitter prior to the walk-out, stating that budget cuts next year will prohibit students from learning “at full capacity” and “make it impossible to get into the college of your dreams.” The initial budget shortfall was estimated at about $50 million, though the mayor’s office said the final amount will be lower when the school committee votes on the budget March 23.
Students pointed to possible cuts to language and arts classes and transportation passes as concerns about the budget cuts:
“A lot of people are concerned about Arabic being cut off,” said Herard, 15. “On Friday, a lot of people actually were crying over Arabic. Schools should never affect people to that point.”
The cancellation of some foreign language courses would mean that more students would pack the remaining language options, and that students from higher and lower grades would be forced to take language courses together, she said.
Schools could also face cuts to librarians, extracurricular activities, and funding for students with autism.
The protests come as Boston schools are being squeezed by charter school reimbursements.
School officials say charter school reimbursements are a leading cause of the projected deficit.
Under state law, the district must pay tuition to charter schools that enroll Boston students. The state reimburses districts for that cost, but reimbursements increasingly fall short. Boston school officials say this year’s reimbursements covered less than half the cost, leaving the district $18.6 million short
Meanwhile, charter advocates are pushing to lift the cap on the number of charter schools in the state, a move that would not exactly improve this situation in Boston and other cities and towns across Massachusetts.