Brookline School Committee ‘Profoundly Saddened’ By Monday’s Closures

BROOKLINE, MA — The Brookline School Committee released a statement Monday afternoon saying they are “profoundly saddened” by the closure of the town’s public schools.

The district announced the closures on Sunday after the Brookline School Committee and the Brookline Educators Unions (BEU) could not reach an agreement on the teachers contract during its fourth mediation session Sunday afternoon.

Because BEU members authorized a strike for Monday if a new contract was not signed by Sunday night, the town made the decision to close all schools.

"As always, our primary concern is the impact on Brookline students and their caregivers,” said the School Committee in Monday's statement. “We are seeing and hearing of children’s anxiety about this situation, magnified by memories of what they face during extended pandemic school closures. Our most vulnerable learners, including students in special education and those with disabilities, are disproportionately impacted by school closures; for some food-insecure students, school is where they receive their only meals,” they continued. “Caregivers are having to make emergency preparations for childcare. We are working to address all community concerns in real time as much as possible.”

"At our state mediation session last evening, we asked the BEU not to strike and they refused,” they continued. “We again call on the BEU to cease and desist all strike activity so that we can focus our joint efforts on bargaining toward successful resolution. Brookline students must not be the victims of this situation any longer than they already have.”

A fifth mediation session between the Brookline School Committee and the BEU is scheduled for Monday evening. Superintendent Linus Guillory said in an announcement that additional school closures will be announced no later than 6 a.m. Tuesday.