Boston Council Hears Broad Demands to Redirect Police Funds to Schools and Youth Jobs

BOSTON — March 10, 2026 — Boston City Council hears calls to shift police funds to schools and youth jobs ahead of April budget. The Committee on Ways and Means held a pre-budget public testimony session March 10, drawing students, educators, and advocates who urged the council to use the city's $1.3 billion unassigned general fund reserve — double the city's own 15 percent policy minimum — to prevent the elimination of approximately 531 Boston Public Schools staff positions, more than 400 of them at schools remaining open. Dr. Bianca Ortiz-Wythe of the Boston Teachers Union said maintaining current school-level services would require roughly $48 million in additional funding. Multiple young speakers affiliated with Youth Justice and Power Union cited the Boston Police Department's $477 million budget against $22 million for youth jobs, calling for a 10 percent police budget cut and creation of civilian mental health crisis response teams. Kevin Bott of META (Multicultural Education Training and Advocacy) disclosed that over $1 million in unspent Title I federal funds was uncovered in school-level checklists provided to class counsel at 5 p.m. the day of the hearing, following months of requests. A second pre-budget session is set for March 24 at 6 p.m., with Mayor Wu's FY27 budget due April 8.