For Immediate Release – October 14, 2025
Issued by: Vote Pina Committee
Contact: [email protected] | www.votepina.com | (508) 368-8576

The Facts the Public Deserves

A February 2025 article by The Enterprise’s Chris Helms, titled “‘Enough is enough’: Brockton school busing could be $10M in the hole. How’d that happen?”, portrayed the city’s transportation deficit as an unexpected budget crisis. But the shortfall didn’t happen overnight—it was the predictable result of five years of deliberate underfunding by the mayor and city council, despite repeated warnings from internal and external audits.¹

Each year, the School Committee submitted non-net budget requests that included realistic transportation costs. Each year, those requests were cut by millions before final approval. The result? Year after year of emergency transfers, city bailouts, and public finger-pointing.

For a deeper look at how political maneuvering and election-year optics have shaped this ongoing crisis, read our full analysis in The Mayor’s Budget Shell Game: How Politics Keeps Brockton’s Schools Broke.

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Five Years of Ignored Warnings

• FY2021–FY2022: Brockton underestimated transportation needs when it brought bus operations in-house. The FY2022 transportation budget of roughly $13.5 million fell short of actual spending by over $5 million.²
• FY2023: Despite knowing actual costs, the mayor’s administration again approved only $12.7 million, though expenditures reached $19.1 million. The city later blamed the schools for “overspending.”³
• FY2024: The School Committee requested $14–15 million to cover true needs. The city approved $11 million—a $3.5 million cut recommended by City Hall’s own CFO to “pressure” the schools into cost reductions.⁴
• FY2025: The pattern continued. The School Committee requested $18 million; the mayor and council approved $11 million, withholding the remaining $7 million for “future review.”⁵ By midyear, the city had to approve a $6 million transfer to keep buses running through June—still leaving millions unpaid.⁶

This funding “shell game” has become a yearly political ritual—cut, underfund, then claim surprise when the bills come due.

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Audits Confirm the Pattern

Independent auditors found that Brockton’s city leadership “intentionally under-budgeted transportation”, relying on year-end fixes instead of honest planning.⁷ The report described this practice as a “wait and see” approach, where the city funds a portion of the cost, watches the schools run short, then blames school leadership when deficits emerge.

In fact, the audit’s findings show that this political underfunding—not financial mismanagement by the schools—was the main driver behind recurring shortfalls.⁸

For a deeper look at how mayoral politics have shaped Brockton’s school funding crisis, read our full analysis in “The Mayor’s Budget Shell Game” here.

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Transparency, Accountability, and Leadership

“Brockton families deserve better than recycled excuses,” said Stephen Pina, candidate for Ward 1 School Committee.

“We’ve had multiple audits, multiple warnings, and the same pattern of political games. You can’t fix what you refuse to face. The solution starts with honesty—budget for what it costs, not what looks good on paper.”

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A Call for Change

The Vote Pina Committee calls for an end to the city’s political manipulation of school finances. Brockton needs:

1. Full transparency in non-net funding allocations;
2. A zero-based budgeting approach that starts with actual needs, not political optics;
3. A clear accountability system between the city, school committee, and residents.

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About the Vote Pina Committee

The Vote Pina Committee supports Stephen Pina, a U.S. Army Ranger Veteran, Brockton native, father, and business leader running for Ward 1 School Committee. His campaign centers on transparency, accountability, and raising educational standards in the City of Champions.

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Press Contact:
Vote Pina Committee
[email protected] | www.votepina.com | (508) 368-8576

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References

1. The Enterprise, “’Enough is enough’: Brockton school busing could be $10M in the hole. How’d that happen?”, Chris Helms, Feb. 2025.
2. Brockton Public Schools FY2022 Budget Summary; Transportation Actuals, Audit Report (Open Architects, 2023).
3. FY2023 Brockton School Department Budget and Audit Findings, 2024.
4. City of Brockton FY2024 Budget Hearing, June 2023; CFO Clarkson testimony.
5. FY2025 Budget Debate, City Council Proceedings, June 2024 (The Enterprise, June 2024).
6. The Enterprise, Feb. 2025; City Council Finance Committee Meeting Notes, Feb. 10, 2025.
7. Open Architects Independent Audit Report, 2024; Findings Section 11.6.7–11.6.8.
8. Ibid.