Boston Council Hears Pre-Budget Warnings on School Cuts, Youth Jobs, and Restrooms

BOSTON — March 10, 2026 — Boston City Council's Ways and Means Committee hears pre-budget pleas to protect schools, fund youth jobs, and build public restrooms. At a March 10 public testimony session chaired by Councilor Benjamin J. Weber, more than a dozen speakers urged the council to block proposed cuts to the FY27 Boston Public Schools budget, which BTU strategic researcher Dr. Bianca Ortiz Weith said would eliminate roughly 531 staff positions district-wide — more than 400 at schools remaining open — while the city's unassigned general fund balance sits at approximately $1.3 billion, double its own 15 percent policy minimum. Youth advocates affiliated with the Youth Justice and Power Union argued that the police budget, set at $477 million against $22.1 million for youth jobs, reflects misplaced priorities, while a group tied to Boston DSA called for new public restrooms near T stations, noting that no facility exists within a quarter mile of Downtown Crossing. Michael Caine of the Mass Alliance asked the council to add $3 million to the city's rent subsidy program, currently funded at $13.9 million and serving roughly 600 formerly homeless residents. A second pre-budget session is set for March 24 at 6 p.m., with at least one more planned after the mayor submits the full budget on April 8.