Boston School Committee Approves $52.6 Million in Federal Grants, Delays Bus Driver Contract Vote

BOSTON -- December 4, 2024, Boston School Committee approves $52.6 million in federal grants as BTU contract standoff stretches past 95 days. The committee voted unanimously at its December 4 meeting to approve the grants package, led by $43 million in Title 1 funds tied to low-income student counts; CFO David Bloom noted the final total came in within roughly $100,000 of the spring estimate. Forty-nine speakers, mostly BTU members and parents, pressed the committee on "inclusion done right," paraprofessional wages starting below $30,000 annually, ABA classroom sizes raised to 11 students, and a shortage of licensed school counselors in K-8 buildings. BTU President Eric Berg said the district's proposed 2 percent wage increase "does little to ease the financial strain on our members." The committee also received a presentation on a tentative four-year deal between bus contractor Transdev and United Steelworkers Local 8751, along with a request for a $6.6 million FY25 supplemental appropriation, both items deferred to a December 18 vote.