Amid Mass. school budget crises, lawmakers weigh how to fix school funding system
The recommendations could address budget challenges districts are facing due to causes including recent
high inflation, the end of federal pandemic relief funds, and the rising costs of special education and student transportation.
'There are few issues as important as ensuring we have well-funded, high-quality public schools for all of our children, no matter what communities they live in,' Lewis said. 'Even though the inflation rate has come down to more manageable levels, we had several years where inflation was quite high, and that has a real impact on school districts.'
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Lewis helped lead the creation of the
But that financial boost has been
School leaders, teachers unions, and advocates have
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Ed Lambert, director of the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, said it made sense to try to address some of the challenges identified by Lewis, but said the state should not just be focused on how much money it provides districts.
'We need to really be prioritizing, along with how the money is distributed, how the money is being spent,' Lambert said. 'If they're not spending it on evidence-based practices ... you can change the formula all you want, it's not going to make a difference.'
Lambert's group is one of those that would get a seat on the commission, according to the bill.
Other drivers of rising costs include
Making district finances more difficult is the state's property tax cap, which limits increases to 2.5 percent annually unless voters
Colin Jones, deputy policy director for the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, a progressive think tank that would get a seat on the commission, said in a statement his group has not taken a position on the bill, but immediate action is also necessary.
'Over the past five years, the Student Opportunity Act has added $1 billion in school funding across Massachusetts,' Jones said. 'Even with that incredible progress, it is a fitting time to have a systemic review of K-12 funding.'
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Lewis acknowledged the budget challenges go beyond the schools, and said he would also support reexamining how the state distributes other local aid, but education is his priority.
'The school budgets are typically by far the largest part of municipal budgets, so if a community is looking to have to make budget cuts, that's often going to fall disproportionately on the schools,' he said.
This year also marked the
Lewis noted the commission would take years to produce a new school funding formula and said the state should try to provide more funds to school districts on an annual basis in the meantime.
based on enrollment, except the state does not cut aid to districts with falling populations.
That could even include examining areas of potential cost savings, Lewis said, such as having small districts with declining enrollment share resources or consolidate.
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The commission would include members of both parties in the state Legislature, the state education department, teachers unions, various municipal and school associations, and five appointees of the governor.
The commission would also consider removing or altering a requirement for the state to assist even the wealthiest towns with their school budgets. The state calculates a 'foundation budget' required to adequately educate the community's students (though districts can and do spend more) and funds at least 17.5 percent of the foundation budget for every district.
Lambert said the commission should address that provision as well as the annual per-student increase received by every district, as both run counter to the system's goal of sending
Christopher Huffaker can be reached at
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