Chris Barrett

At the Everett City Council Budget Hearing on Schools on May 19, 2026, Chris Barrett, the assistant superintendent of finance for Everett Public Schools, introduced himself and spoke alongside Superintendent Hart to present the district’s FY27 budget proposal. He thanked the city council for the opportunity to present, and also thanked the mayor and his business and financial teams for their support through the budget process. Barrett said the partnership had “laid a foundation for future success for many years to come.”

Barrett walked the council through the major budget drivers and said the proposal was designed to meet the needs of students, families, and community members while staying within tight financial constraints. He said the district’s 2.38% year-over-year budget increase required it to “maximize every single dollar spent.” He explained that transportation costs were set conservatively, said the estimate remained below comparable cities, and tied the increase to fuel costs and the district’s efforts to keep students in-district. He gave examples of savings associated with students remaining at Webster School and other in-district programs, estimating those savings at “between $3,000,000 to $4,000,000,” though he also said he was being conservative in that estimate.

Barrett emphasized that the budget preserves services even when staffing or functions are consolidated. He said two new programs could be implemented with no additional staff, clarified that some positions were shifted rather than eliminated, and noted that the director of security role would remain in place with no reductions in services. He also said the district reviewed curriculum and instructional-app spending line by line and identified about $1.3 million in current spending that could be carried over from FY26, while stressing, “I wouldn’t want anyone to think that there’s been a cut to any of the curriculum.” He credited those investments with supporting stronger standardized and access test results.

He also discussed staffing and program adjustments tied to special education, preschool, and English learner needs, saying some increases would be necessary and that there would likely be one additional paraprofessional. Barrett praised paraprofessionals as educators and said school success “starts with also the paraprofessionals.” He noted that the Webster School has well over 20 paraprofessionals and agreed their support is crucial. No votes were taken by Barrett during this portion of the hearing.

Chris Barrett, Assistant Superintendent of Finance for Everett Public Schools, spoke at the Everett School Committee-Budget Committee of the Whole on April 16, 2026, after being invited forward. He opened by expressing appreciation for being “back in the city of Everett, a city that I deeply love,” and thanked the committee for having the team there.

Barrett walked through the FY27 budget presentation and the staffing changes at multiple schools. He explained that district leaders and department heads had met regularly under Dr. Adams to review curriculum, online programs, and building materials, and said the district had looked for savings while preserving room to support departments if needed. He noted that some reductions reflected purchases intended to last into future years. He highlighted school-by-school adjustments at Webster, English, Keverian, Lafayette, Parlin, and Whittier, including shifts in substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, administrative roles, and special education staffing. At Webster, he said administrative salaries decreased because the assistant principal position was eliminated, while at Keverian and Parlin new dual language and dual immersion kindergarten programs would be run by existing staff with Title III professional development.

Barrett also discussed the BRITE program, explaining that it stands for Bridge for Resilient Youth and Transitions and that it provides short-term support for students returning to school after serious disruptions. He said the Brookline Center agreed to fund the positions at least through the first half of the school year, covering half the salary. “It’s certainly a process,” he said, adding that the program had been “a tremendous success.”

On district-wide issues, Barrett said attendance and social-emotional support remained priorities, described teacher salary steps, and said the district had increased the daily substitute line to $150,000 to preserve flexibility. He framed the budget as “the most challenging” since he started in 2007, citing a decline in enrollment and a budget gap that was reduced with help from the mayor’s office. He said the team tried to avoid classroom cuts through a tiered approach and stressed that some positions would remain unfilled.

Barrett also answered questions about licensure, substitute coverage, enrollment decline, and a safety issue involving a van step/stool, saying he would ask Mr. Marussia to review it the next morning. No votes were recorded during his remarks.