City officials are asking for an additional $40 million in the Boston Public Schools budget for next year, largely to target early education and dual-language programs, bolster resources for homeless students, and extend the school day.

Factoring in a possible $20 million in ongoing collective bargaining with the teachers union, the administration set a $1.061 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2018. Setting aside any bargaining component, the proposal would increase the budget by 2.8 percent; including the $20 million, the appropriation would rise 3.7 percent.

Officials presented the budget to the School Committee on Wednesday night. Budget hearings will take place throughout February and March, with the board’s final vote slated for March 23.

The schools budget sparked controversy last year, with several student walkouts advocating for increased funding and objecting to a lack of transparency in the process. Superintendent Tommy Chang has said he plans to offer more opportunity for student input into this year’s budget discussions.
“The proposed budget is the result of a comprehensive effort to direct dollars directly into our classrooms,” Chang said in a statement. “It is imperative that we continue to build upon our successes as a school district by providing strong academic and social-emotional support for our students.”

The mayor announced a universal pre-kindergarten program in his State of the City address last month. The administration has earmarked $600,000 for the pre-K infrastructure and $500,000 to for additional K1 seats. Another major investment, $14.1 million, is for extending the school day by 40 minutes at 39 schools.

An initiative to support homeless students calls for an outlay of $1 million to benefit the approximately 3,000 BPS students identified by the district as homeless. Schools will be able to dedicate resources within their student populations, and they will also be provided with additional training for staff focused on supporting homeless students.

“School is a critical source of stability for children experiencing homelessness,” said Boston City Councillor At-Large Annissa Essaibi-George, who chairs the Committee on Homelessness, Mental Health & Recovery. “This is a great step to improve their academic outcomes and their lives.”

Other items include $340,000 to check school water pipes for lead and $81,000 to expand dual-language programs at five schools and create a new Haitian Creole program at the new early learning center at the site of the shuttering Mattahunt Elementary School.

“This budget proposal marks a new era of investment in Boston Public Schools, our children and the future of Boston,” said Walsh. “We are focused on providing a high-quality education for every student in every neighborhood. This budget allows for the funding of programs that support student populations in need of alternative or additional services to excel and grow.”

In the efforts at balancing the budget, administrators noted that the only area of reduced spending will be in central administration. Cost-cutting, including the areas of food, travel, and stipends, will join limits on salary growth, officials said.

Diminished state reimbursements continue to drag on the city’s budget, officials said, citing a projected $73 million loss in revenue over four years from unfulfilled charter school reimbursements. The calculations project a mere $1 million increase in Chapter 70 Education Aid from the state for the fiscal year. The proposal also notes new “uncertainty and lack of stability at the federal level.”