Brockton Schools Projects $4-5 Million Transportation Gap, Plans City Council Request

BROCKTON -- March 24, 2026, Brockton Public Schools faces a projected $4 million to $5 million transportation budget shortfall for fiscal year 2026. At Tuesday's Security, Safety and Transportation Subcommittee meeting, Superintendent Dr. Taheliani told members the district received $14.9 million in non-net school spending for transportation against an anticipated total cost comparable to last year's $19.7 million, and said she plans to bring a formal supplemental funding request to the City Council. Director of Transportation Kamal Peterson and Assistant Director Andre Galen reported that overtime costs have dropped from roughly $200,000 to $181,000 year-over-year and total driver hours fell from 1.2 million to 1 million, crediting a newly ratified collective bargaining agreement approved by drivers 71 to 21, described as the largest union turnout on record, that restructures hours to eliminate most future overtime. The department is awaiting a transportation services bid opening April 7 before committing to a planned expansion of lower-cost 7D-licensed drivers using district-owned Honda Odysseys, a move officials said could save hundreds of dollars per student per day compared with current private vendor rates. Members also raised unresolved safety concerns about school pickup and drop-off congestion, noting the district has only nine active school police officers against a state-recommended ratio of one per thousand students.