30 July, 2020
Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland) announced today that the Senate, House and Administration agreed to an unrestricted local aid and chapter 70 funding commitment that provides a baseline amount for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21). This commitment will provide certainty and critical support for municipalities and school districts as they finalize their budgets.
“The Senate actively pushed for this joint agreement so that our cities and towns can be clear-eyed about their fiscal situations as we all navigate very uncertain times,” stated Senate President Spilka. “Our cities and towns make up the fabric of our communities, and our schools are the foundation of the future success of our children and our Commonwealth. We must do all we can to provide certainty, stability and support to these critical components of our state, and so I am very pleased that we were able to come to an agreement on this funding.”
For FY21, the Administration and leaders in the House and Senate have committed to no less than the FY20 level of funding for unrestricted general government aid (UGGA) and chapter 70 education aid. Additionally, there is a commitment to Chapter 70 increases for inflation and enrollment that will keep all school districts at foundation, under the law as it existed for FY20, providing an additional $107M in aid over FY20.
This increase comes in addition to approximately $450M in new federal supports for K-12 schools to assist with educating students during the pandemic. These funds include:
$194M for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Grants through the Title I formula;
$16M for ESSER Discretionary Funds;
$25M for Remote Learning Technology Grants;
$202M for School Reopening Funds;
Up to $15M for Competitive Federal Funds.
Information on local aid and Chapter 70 amounts for each municipality can be found at this link.
Despite the almost unprecedented fiscal climate, the amount of state and federal aid allocated thus far ensures the Senate, House and Administration can continue prioritizing significant investments in Massachusetts students.
Senate President Spilka, along with her counterparts in the Administration and House, remains committed to implementing the Student Opportunity Act. As state leaders work towards finalizing an FY21 budget, the ability to provide increased investments for school districts and municipalities will be evaluated.
