The Trump administration took away unspent relief funds from Mass. districts. Here's how much each lost.
'A school-based health center is long overdue in this region,' O'Leary said. 'We're going to have to review if we're going to execute the final contract.'
Related
:
Advertisement
Similar projects could be in jeopardy around the state, particularly in districts like Springfield, Fitchburg, and Everett, which are losing around 20 percent of their total relief fund allocations. Here's what to know.
Advertisement
Which districts were affected?
Including New Bedford, a total of 20 school districts will lose their remaining federal funds unless, as district leaders hope, the cuts are reversed.
In Springfield, the biggest loser — with nearly $50 million on the line — money was going to HVAC installations and outdoor classrooms. It's unclear how much of that work was completed.
Fitchburg, with one-quarter of its $26 million in federal funds on the line, was planning to spend its money on HVAC and air quality improvements,
The primary deadline to use the funds was Sept. 30, and the vast majority have been spent. But districts were
'By failing to meet the clear deadline in the regulation, you ran the risk that the Department would deny your extension request,' McMahon wrote. 'Extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department's priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion.'
Related
:
How much did each affected district have left?
Springfield: Lost $47 million, or 19% of their $244 million total allocation of ESSER funds.
New Bedford: Lost $16 million, or 21% of their $74 million total
Fitchburg: Lost $6.6 million, or 25% of their $26 million
Everett: Lost $4.9 million, or 23% of their $21 million
Revere: Lost $4.6 million, or 15% of their $30 million
Boston: Lost $3.5 million, or 0.8% of their $432 million
Leominster: Lost $1.9 million, or 10.7% of their $17 million
Stoughton: Lost $1.5 million, or 25% of their $5.9 million
Worcester: Lost $1.5 million, or 1.2% of their $123 million
Chelsea: Lost $1.4 million, or 4.5% of their $33 million
Lawrence: Lost $1.3 million, or 1.6% of their $85 million
Holyoke: Lost $400,000, or 0.7% of their $58 million.
Dracut: Lost $650,000, or 12.1% of their $5.4 million
West Springfield: Lost $350,000, or 2.3% of their $15 million
Lynn: Lost $340,000, or 0.52% of their $66 million
Fairhaven: Lost $250,000, or 6.1% of their $4.1 million
Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical: Lost $120,000, or 2.5% of their $4.6 million
Ludlow: Lost $83,000, or 1.7% of their $4.9 million
Blue Hills: Lost $21,000, or 1.6% of their $1.3 million
Mashpee: Lost $2,500, or 0.11% of their $2.3 million
Other impacted school funding
Two private religious schools also lost funds due to similar cuts to the separate 'Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools' program in the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act.
Mater Dolorosa Catholic School, Holyoke: Lost $120,000, or 15% of their $780,000 American Rescue Plan Act allocation.
Saint Stanislaus School, Chicopee: Lost $173,000, or 13% of their $1.3 million allocation.
According to the state, a total of $106 million in relief funds were terminated. The above schools and districts combine for about $93 million in lost funds, meaning about $13 million in unspent funds were due to other agencies, such as the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Advertisement
Federal money was supporting teacher training and regional centers that help teachers with emergency licenses get needed certification to continue working in Massachusetts public schools, the state said.
Christopher Huffaker can be reached at
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Eric Adams signs executive order adopting Holocaust remembrance group's definition of antisemitism
Mayor Eric Adams signed an executive order Sunday adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism, as he vowed to ramp up the city campaign to combat Jew hatred. He also introduced legislation urging the City Council to approve the IHRA definition, which would make it official law. The IHRA definition is considered by many Jewish leaders to be the standard in fighting antisemitism. 4 Mayor Eric Adams signed an executive order Sunday adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism. Matthew McDermott 'Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities,' the IHRA definition states. Adams announced the order during a discussion with Dr. Phil Sunday night at the Tribeca Synagogue. It comes as he faces re-election and plans to run as an independent on an 'End Semitism' ballot line. 4 Adams also introduced legislation urging the City Council to approve the IHRA definition, which would make it official law. Paul Martinka 'Antisemitism is a vile disease that's been spreading across our nation and our city. What's worse, since Hamas' terror attacks on October 7, 2023, we have seen this hateful rhetoric become normalized on our campuses, in our communities, and online as antisemitic propaganda far too often masquerades as 'activism,'' Adams said. More than half of the hate crimes reported in the city in March victimized Jews, even though they account for just 11 percent of the population, the mayor noted. 4 Adams announced the order during a discussion with Dr. Phil Sunday night at the Tribeca Synagogue. LP Media 'We know this moment demands bold, decisive action to crack down on anti-Jewish hatred,' Adams said. 'Today, we signed a landmark executive order to adopt an internationally recognized definition of antisemitism, but we must go further. I am calling on the City Council to join this commitment to target antisemitism everywhere it exists and immediately pass a bill to codify this definition into law. It's time we all come together to eradicate this hatred from our city, once and for all.' 4 More than half of the hate crimes reported in the city in March victimized Jews, even though they account for just 11 percent of the population. Kevin C Downs forThe New York Post At the state level, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo — who's also running for mayor — issued an order barring state entities from doing business with firms that back the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel before his resignation. Gov. Kathy Hochul has retained the policy. State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli has his own pro-Israel policy. In 2021, he announced that he pulled $111 million in investments out of the firm that owns Ben & Jerry's because of the ice cream maker's boycott of Israel's occupied territories. DiNapoli is the sole manager of the $274 billion state Common Retirement Fund.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Who won the first NYC Democratic mayoral primary debate?
Ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo won Wednesday night's Democratic mayoral primary debate — because his opponents' relentless attacks did more to elevate him than drag him down, a Post panel of veteran campaign strategists said. The thrice-elected Democrat took some gut punches, but there was no knockout blow or major blunder on his part, the political analysts on both sides of the aisle said. 'I tuned in to see a mayoral debate, not a debate about Andrew Cuomo,' quipped campaign strategist Ken Frydman of the nine-person debate moderated by NBC 4 NY and Politico. 'By making Andrew the debate, they elevated him,' said Frydman. Because Cuomo was constantly under fire, he got more airtime to respond to each jab and by default dominated the more than two-hour debate, the political experts said. 'Everyone tried to land a punch on Andrew Cuomo, but failed,' said campaign strategist O' Brien 'OB' Murray. 'The first 20 minutes gave Cuomo the center stage, literally and figuratively,' he said, referring to the ex-gov's position in the middle of the group of candidates standing on the dais at 30 Rockefeller Center. 'He handled the attacks and was able to deflect. They actually gave him more airtime than they should have,' Murray said. Republican campaign strategist Bill O'Reilly said the verbal pummeling Cuomo received from most of his eight primary rivals does not alter his status as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination. 'It was Andrew Cuomo vs. the Lilliputians, and the Lilliputians fell short. That's the bottom line,' O'Reilly said. 'Someone needed to trip up the former governor to slow his momentum, but it was clear from the jump that wouldn't happen. Cuomo hasn't lost a step since leaving Albany, and the field lacked the skill to crack him.' Cuomo also counter-attacked, taking shots at his biggest threats in the polls — 33-year-old Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, a state Assembly member from Queens, and City Comptroller Brad Lander. The former governor delivered the best line when he said, '[President] Trump would go through Mamdani like a hot knife through butter,' O'Reilly noted. Frydman said the candidates and moderators did force Cuomo to squirm to defend his record as governor, including his controversial nursing home policy during the COVID-19 pandemic and his approval of the unpopular 2019 bail reforms. They also tried to make him answer for the spate of sexual misconduct accusations leveled against him — which he denied, but which forced his resignation in 2021. Some of the other candidates had 'breakout moments' — including former Bronx Assemblyman Michael Blake, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Mamdani, said political adviser Yvette Buckner. 'That will have voters wanting to learn more about them, their policies and their candidacy,' she said. Frydman too said Adams' performance 'moved the needle' for her campaign, which has been slow to gain momentum despite support from state Attorney General Letitia James. 'She introduced herself to Democratic voters well enough on substance to move up in ranked-choice voting,' he said. But Cuomo's comfortable lead over second-place Mamdani in recent polls should hold, Frydman said. O'Reilly agreed, but said Mamdani remains Cuomo's 'greatest threat' for the nomination in the June 24 primary. Two of the panelists agreed that Lander is competent, but his persona didn't translate on TV. 'He oozes insincerity in a car-salesman-type way,' O'Reilly said. But he said Brooklyn state Sen. Zellnor Myrie's sincerity came across 'easily,' calling him a rising star in the Democratic Party. Murray concurred, saying Lander has a 'stage presence for radio and a delivery for print. He confirmed why he has his wife and daughter on videos, instead of himself.' Another candidate, former city Comptroller Scott Stringer, who previously ran for mayor in 2021, didn't break through, the panelists said. 'Stringer was Stringer — flat, and after a second run for mayor, still didn't connect to voters,' Murray said. All but two of the Democratic contenders will debate again on June 12, save for Blake and state Sen. Jessica Ramos, who failed to meet the campaign funding threshold. Nine days of early voting will precede the primary, beginning on June 14.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Artists who got almost $1,500 a month under a basic income pilot say their work improved
Ireland's basic income pilot program for the arts ends in August. For three years, 2,000 artists and creative arts workers received about $370 a week. Recipients said the stipend overall improved their daily lives. For about 2,000 artists and creative arts workers in Ireland, a weekly stipend provided through a basic income program has been a lifeline for years. Now, it's almost over. The pilot program began in 2022 under Catherine Martin, Ireland's former minister for tourism and culture. Martin allocated about $28 million to the arts sector following the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were randomly chosen and given an unconditional stipend of €325, or about $370, weekly for three years. During that time, participants met periodically via Zoom to discuss how the additional income had affected their livelihoods, careers, and ability to meet basic needs. The final session was held this month before the program's conclusion in August. Artists and cultural workers who attended the session grappled with what their lives would look like after August, but they hoped government officials would extend the program. "We need no further pilots. People need a UBI now to face and deal with the many social, economic, and ecological crises of our world," Reinhard Huss, the organizer of UBI Lab Leeds, which sponsored the event alongside Basic Income Ireland, UBI Lab Arts, and UBI Lab Network, told Business Insider. New developments in AI are reshaping the job market, replacing some entry-level positions. Tech industry leaders like Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have said implementing a universal basic income will be essential in the near future when AI supplants jobs in most industries. A universal basic income offers an entire population recurring, unconditional payments regardless of an individual's socioeconomic status. Ireland's program, like many others in the United States, is a guaranteed basic income, which targets certain segments of the population for a set period of time. Jenny Dagg, a sociologist lecturing at Ireland's Maynooth University, authored a new report that provides insights into participants' reactions to the program. She gathered data from over 50 of the 2,000 recipients. Although the report outlined nearly a dozen key impacts reported by program recipients, Dagg highlighted five major takeaways during the Zoom session. Dagg said that recipients who received money from the program reported more stability and "significantly reduced" financial stress. It relieved their anxiety about fulfilling their basic needs. Participating in the pilot program also allowed artists to re-prioritize how they spend their time and what they choose to focus on. "The opportunity to focus more on their specific creative interests opened new possibilities and career trajectories," the report said. Artists said the added income allowed them to spend more time "researching, experimenting, taking risks, and failing," which has improved the quality of their work. Artists, the report said, also felt more confident in themselves and their work during the program. "Many recipients talk of feeling empowered, of being in control of the choices within their lives, and envisioning a viable career path longer-term," the report said. Recipients even reported better mental health, which led to improved sleep quality and lowered stress levels. With the end of the program fast approaching, recipients of the weekly payment are reckoning with what how their lives might change. "Across art forms, recipients report concerns about financial stability and sustaining the momentum of their careers when, or if, the basic income scheme ends," Dagg's report said. This month, Basic Income Ireland called on the government to immediately implement a universal and unconditional basic income for the country. A spokesperson for the UBI Lab Network said the pilot program's success shows that basic income is a viable option. The campaign group shared a proposal for introducing a universal basic income to Ireland. "As the pilot shows, basic income works and people need a UBI now to face and deal with the many social, economic, and ecological crises of our world. The Network will continue to help demonstrate basic income within communities and show how it is a sustainable policy," the statement said. Patrick O'Donovan, Ireland's minister for arts and culture, said he would evaluate the data collected throughout the pilot program and create proposals for the government regarding the next steps. "I am heartened by the responses of the Basic Income recipients in this paper," O'Donovan said in the May report. "This research will add to the evaluation being conducted by my department, which to date clearly shows that the Basic Income Pilot has been an effective support for the artists in receipt of it." Read the original article on Business Insider
