Springfield City Council reviews school, police budget proposals

SPRINGFIELD — On the first day of the City Council’s budget review process, councilors reviewed the budget requests of two of the city’s largest departments: schools and police.

Before that, however, Chief Administrative and Financial Officer Cathy Buono presented an overview of the city’s proposed $1.04 billion budget for fiscal year 2027.

The budget increased 5.49% over FY26, despite not including any new programs. Buono said that because costs increase each year, a level service budget presented the city with a $20 million gap to fill. Departments were asked to make cuts. Five full-time equivalent positions were cut. Rather than laying people off, the reduced positions were those that were unfilled, consolidated or ones from which people are retiring this year. Added to last year’s cuts, the city is running with 19 fewer employees than in FY25.

“We’ve made some substantial cuts,” Buono said, adding that they were based on historical spending. She also pointed out that the budget was balanced without using the city’s $75 million in stabilization reserves. Buono said it is too early in the season to calculate free cash.

Buono said that 83% of the city’s costs, including the schools and health insurance, are non-discretionary costs. The non-discretionary costs increased by 6.1%. The city managed to keep the increase to discretionary spending, including most of the city department budgets, to 2.1%, despite the inflation rate being 3.8%.

Buono emphasized the role that the School Department plays in the city’s budget. More than half of the city’s revenue, 63%, comes from state aid.

The $708 million school budget accounts for 68% of spending, meaning that all the state aid plus some tax revenue goes to funding the schools.

Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Sonia Dinnall recognized the outsized role that the School Department plays in the budget. The department costs are driven by factors that include a 37% increase in special education students. One area of savings this year is transportation.

Ward 2 City Councilor Michael Fenton said this is the first year in his 17 on the council that school transportation has not risen, an issue he has been perpetually frustrated by. Chief Financial Officer Patrick Roach explained that the department hired a consultant and purchased software to streamline bus routes, which led to fewer buses needed overall. For the first time in 15 years, he added, no new charter schools have opened or added grades. He explained that the School Department has no control over the number of buses they need or the routes they use, despite having to pay for them.

At Large City Councilor Brian Santaniello asked Dinnall about per pupil expenditure, which is roughly $20,000. Roach said that, for the past six years, the School Department has benefited from the Student Opportunity Act, which weighs the portion of a school system’s students with disabilities, those who are low-income and English language learners, when calculating state aid. That funding ends in FY27. Without the extra funding, Roach said the schools expect a deficit of $20 million next year.

At Large City Councilor Kateri Walsh asked Dinnall if the schools were struggling to attract and retain teachers. Dinnall said it was a struggle, but the department was “fighting hard to get our fair share of the best and the brightest in front of our students.” She said the department was working with area colleges and on creating pipelines to encourage paraprofessionals to earn teaching degrees.

Ward 4 City Councilor Malo Brown asked Dinnall about truancy. She said the department is working with families to find alternative paths to graduation. The department steps in when school-aged youth commit crimes. Brown recommended partnering with community organizations, such as Roca Inc., to make connections with truant youth.

Police Superintendent Lawrence Akers presented his $63.97 million budget. Akers said it was difficult to find line items to cut, but he managed by eliminating $400,000 in unfilled positions.

Akers said the department is composed of 600 employees, including 514 officers, 52 of which were recently onboarded. The department expects to maintain its walking patrols, investigative units and its Counter Criminal Continuum Policing program, which gathers intelligence through interagency, community and private enterprise cooperation. The budget allows for “much needed” training, Akers said. The department was recently released from a consent decree with the federal Justice Department that will save about $300,000.

Brown asked about the department’s use of technology.

“I’m very aggressive with it,” Akers said. The department recently implemented a new suite of software and services, which he said will save money. “If I could get $40 million, we’d have the most technologically advanced police in the country,” Akers said with a chuckle. Instead, he is adding capabilities as the budget allows.

Ward 5 City Councilor Lavar Click-Bruce asked if the department’s crime prevention programs were adequately funded. Akers said prevention is aided by the Real Time Analysis Center, which generates predictive analytic crime bulletins, maps and reports, and completes pattern analysis. Akers said that he would welcome more funding but understands the financial realities.

The City Council will continue to review department budgets before voting on the city’s budget at a future meeting.