Brockton School Committee delays attendance hire, hears therapy workers' raise pleas

School Committee · Meeting of April 7, 2026

Brockton therapy assistants denied raises for first time in nearly 30 years address School Committee. Six speakers, including speech-language pathology assistant Tony Mazzone and occupational therapy assistant Charlene Valdez, who has worked for the district since 1997, told the committee Tuesday that the 2025-2026 school year is the first in roughly 29 years in which their non-union group received no salary increase, even as the Brockton Education Association secured a 3 percent raise. Parents Lloyd and Danae Lamar also raised allegations of unsanctioned seclusion room use, telling the committee their autistic son spent 63 hours in a seclusion room over six months.

Superintendent Dr. Priya Tahiliani announced the departure of Assistant Superintendent of Finance Dr. Regul Bouto and named Sarah Butler as incoming budget director, while disclosing that the district faces a projected 15 percent cut to Title I funding in FY27 and an unsettled pension obligation estimated at roughly $11.4 million.

The committee postponed a vote to hire a Supervisor of Attendance and set a finance subcommittee meeting for April 28, with a May 15 staff-notification deadline looming.

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Source: the School Committee meeting of April 7, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.