School Committee Approves $787,501 Custodian Raise

Boston School Committee · Meeting of October 14, 2026

BOSTON — The Boston School Committee previewed an all-day cellphone ban and approved $787,501 for custodian raises. Superintendent Mary Skipper said the device policy, covering phones, tablets and smartwatches, could begin "the first day of the 2027-2028 school year," pending a January 2027 vote. Members voted 6-0, with Stephen Alkins absent, to ratify a tentative contract with custodians' union Local 1952 and approved $82,289,934 in federal and state grants.

Skipper said an August Inspector General report flagged more than $857,000 in noncompliant spending against the district's $1.635 billion budget, prompting plans to centralize procurement under the CFO. Parent Deirdre Manning testified that "the bus did not show up" to her daughter's soccer game.

In the full story:

• Superintendent's Report: Cellphone Policy Preview
• Superintendent's Report: OIG Procurement Findings and CFO Centralization
• Transportation Performance Update
• Custodian Collective Bargaining Agreement
• Public Comment
• Grants and In-Kind Donations
• Horace Mann Charter MOU: Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School
• 2026 State Assessment and Accountability Results
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 3,025 words

Source: the Boston School Committee meeting of October 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.