School Committee’s Ways & Means Subcommittee takes a hard look at proposed FY26 budget cuts

Advocate Staff Report

The Revere School Committee’s Ways and Means Subcommittee met this week to continue looking for cuts to reduce a $3.46 million budget gap. The school district has a $10 million reserve fund, but School Committee members are reluctant to dig too deep into that fund because of what’s ahead. The cost of operating the new high school and the McKinley Early Education Center while maintaining the current high school is troubling, and committee members have agreed to use $1.7 million of the reserve fund.

Revere Public Schools Supt. Dr. Dianne Kelly presented a new list of cuts for the committee to consider. Kelly said repeatedly that the suggested cuts were discussed with school principals and curriculum directors, who have said the proposed cuts involved things they could either do without or fill in another way. Kelly first proposed cutting the elementary special education coaches who work with teachers on improving their teaching practice. According to Kelly, school principals said that because the coaches split their time among different schools, the program is not as effective as had been hoped.

Also proposed as a cut are four consulting teachers who provide job and professional development for classroom teachers. “This was a valuable program no doubt,” said Kelly, adding that school principals said it is great to have them, but it is not a necessity.

Kelly’s list also included a middle school Spanish teacher, a High School Biology teacher, a position that was never filled and now, no longer needed because of declining enrollment, and a middle school and high school history instructional coach. “None of these are positions we want to cut, but these are positions staff felt they could absorb and still move forward,” said Kelly, adding that those cuts totaled $1.26 million.

Several committee members questioned why no administrators were identified as possible cuts. Kelly said that since 2021 the district has hired 144 new members of the instructional staff and 14 administrators. She also stated that all non-salary items have been cut by 40 percent. “I don’t know how we even have paper,” she added.

The proposed cuts combined with this year’s $5.25 million budget surplus and a small pinch of the reserve fund would get the school department to a balanced budget.

Ways and Means Subcommittee Chair John Kingston said he wanted to see at least three of the six health aides retained as well as one of the ROTC instructors slated to be cut. Kingston said there are 190 students signed up for ROTC, and the U.S. Army covers half the salary of ROTC instructors.

Other committee members reminded Kingston that they haven’t yet voted on anything, and all members should have a chance to make the case against any of the proposed cuts. The Ways and Means Subcommittee will meet again on June 11 for a final review of possible cuts.