Boston City Council Scrutinizes $133 Million BPS Transportation Budget at Operations Hearing

BOSTON — June 5, 2023 — Boston City Council presses BPS on $133 million transportation bill and school facilities gaps. At a Monday budget operations hearing, council members including Council President Edward M. Flynn, Councilor Julia M. Mejia, Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune, and Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata questioned Boston Public Schools Deputy Superintendent of Operations Dr. Sam Dupina and Chief of Staff Nate Cooter on a proposed $12.3 million transportation increase for fiscal year 2024, which would fund new bus driver and monitor contracts — including a pay jump from $15 to $19 an hour for monitors — and expanded service for homeless students. Flynn declared it "unacceptable" that student athletes missed games due to driver shortages, while Coletta Zapata called $19 an hour "still not good enough" for Boston workers. Dupina reported that 15 BPS school buildings still lack air conditioning units and 10 more cannot support them due to electrical limitations, with a full facilities condition assessment not expected until August.