Massachusetts millionaires tax is funding these public schools
The Fair Share Amendment, better known as the millionaires tax, was signed into law in 2022 and imposes a surtax on individual incomes that exceed $1 million. This year's budget included a $1.33 billion statewide package funded through revenues from the Fair Share Amendment.
Senate working 'around the clock' on spending plans
$248 million for special education reimbursements
$100 million to expand technical education programs
$50 million for capital improvements at regional transit authorities
$25 million for micro-transit and 'Last Mile' transportation solutions for rural communities
$82.5 million in Chapter 90 road funding allocated by road mileage, benefiting rural municipalities
$175 million for deferred maintenance at public higher education institutions
$25 million for K–3 literacy education
$10 million for English Language Learner service expansions
$50 million to help school districts manage construction cost overruns due to inflation and tariffs
Massachusetts Senator Jacob Oliveira, who represents Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester, announced that more than $750,000 of the Fair Share Amendment funding is allocated to public schools across his district.
'As a former School Committee member and a proud product of public education, I know firsthand the immense benefits to individuals and the region when we have the same access to opportunity as other areas of the Commonwealth. 'That means delivering both the funding and the infrastructure that our local schools and communities need. I'm proud to have helped to bring meaningful, regionally equitable investments home,' Senator Oliveira said.
In a news release from Senator Oliveira, the following school districts are earmarked in the bill however, the final budget will be determined through negotiations between the House and Senate.
$28,500 to Ludlow Public Schools for classroom technology upgrades
$150,000 to East Longmeadow High School for gymnasium bleacher replacement
$75,000 to Granby Public Schools to expand their Information Technology Pathway program
$100,000 to Belcher School in Chicopee for critical HVAC system upgrades
$30,000 to Old Mill Pond Elementary School in Palmer for accessible playground improvements
$26,000 to Palmer High School for gymnasium upgrades
$80,000 to South Hadley Public Schools for district-wide gym improvements
$92,500 to the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District for technology upgrades
$93,000 to Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School to upgrade its horticultural vocational program
$75,000 to Longmeadow Public Schools to modernize school security systems
'We are delivering on the promise of the Fair Share Amendment,' Oliveira said. 'This isn't just about a number on a spreadsheet—it's about real outcomes for our kids, for our educators, and for our regional economy. It's about making sure students from Palmer to South Hadley have the same high-quality facilities, programs, and support as anywhere else in the Commonwealth.'
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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