A landmark education spending proposal making its way through the Legislature could invest millions in school spending in Lynn schools, according to lawmakers.
State Rep. Dan Cahill (D-Lynn) praised Massachusetts House action on the Student Opportunity Act Wednesday and said the legislation’s $1.5 billion investment in public education translates to more than $100 million to Lynn schools through 2027.
“Thanks to all those who worked tirelessly in drafting this legislation,” he said.
State Sen. Brendan Crighton said while Cahill’s Lynn aid estimate accurate, the Student Opportunity Act estimates for the city and other communities won’t be determined until demographic and economic information gets incorporated into the legislation’s funding formula.
The measure has undergone a Senate review and the next major step to making it law includes a conference committee debate between House and Senate members.
“This is a big deal,” Crighton said. “We are committed to this.”
Crighton said the legislation builds on a 2014 Foundation Budget Review Commission’s recommendations encompassing school funding allocations from the state to cities and towns, as well as charter school reimbursements to communities and transportation funding.
The Student Opportunity Act’s major features include a formula for estimating a school district’s employee health care costs using up-to-date health insurance trend data collected by the state’s Group Insurance Commission.
The Act would increase special education enrollment and cost assumptions to more accurately reflect district enrollment and costs.
It would also increase spending for English learners (EL) that is differentiated by grade level to reflect the greater resources required to educate older EL students.
Other major features described in a statement released by House Speaker Robert DeLeo’s office include:
*Addressing the needs of districts educating high concentrations of low-income students by providing additional funding based on the share of low-income students in each district.
*Returning the definition of low-income to 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, as opposed to the 133 percent level that has been used in recent years.
*Increase foundation rates for guidance and psychological services that will support expanded social–emotional supports and mental health services.
*Expand the special education circuit breaker, which reimburses districts for extraordinary special education costs, to include transportation costs in addition to instructional costs, phased in over four years.
*Lift the annual cap on Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) spending for school building construction/renovation by $150 million (from $600 million to $800 million), enabling the MSBA to accept more projects across the state into its funding pipeline.
“I’m positively thrilled for what this means for kids in Lynn and across the state,” said state Rep. Lori Ehrlich.
Crighton compared the big price tag for the Student Opportunity Act to the equally-ambitious spending amount attached in 1993 to Education Reform.
He said a legislative decision to prioritize education spending and growth in Massachusetts’ economy helped pay for reform spending and it can pay for implementing the Act.
“We are committed to this and to ramping it up over seven years,” he said.
