LYNN — State Sen. Brendan Crighton, Rep. Daniel Cahill and Rep. Peter Capano filed legislation Friday to update the state’s current school construction formula.
Referred to by the Democratic Lynn lawmakers as “outdated and inequitable,” the current formula, which has determined state aid for school construction projects since 2004, has been argued to disproportionately affect the education of students in low-income communities across the state.
To remedy this issue, the legislation, “An Act Modernizing School Construction,” is intended to reform the state’s school construction formula so that all students and teachers have access to safe and healthy learning environments in high-quality school buildings.
“The legislature took historic steps towards equitable access to a high-quality education for all students with the Student Opportunity Act,” said Crighton. “It is now time to revise our school construction formula with a similar equity lens, and it has been great to work together with legislatures and local officials to that end.
“Improving the Commonwealth’s schools and education system is critical for ensuring our school children have equal access to the best resources and education possible.”
According to Crighton’s office, overcrowded buildings, obsolete HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems, and other unsafe conditions hinder students and teachers from engaging safely and productively in their classrooms.
Collectively, the legislators said that now, more than ever, state funding is vital in order to renovate old buildings and construct new ones.
They added that under the new legislation, the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s (MSBA) revenue stream would increase from one to two pennies of the sales tax, doubling revenue for construction projects.
The lawmakers would also remove an 80 percent reimbursement cap for MSBA-approved school construction projects, which has been shown to have a disproportionate impact on low-income school districts.
If not for this cap, the legislators said, those types of districts could have received an additional $44 million between 2016 and 2020 to support school construction.
“Gateway cities continue to struggle to utilize MSBA’s financing program, which Lynn residents pay into but will not reap the benefits of without a higher reimbursement rate for the full costs of school construction projects,” said Cahill. “This legislation provides a new formula for helping gateway cities move forward with these important school construction projects.”
The bill also updates the school construction formula by requiring the MSBA to regularly revise its standards for reimbursement to accurately reflect modern construction costs.
While the current average bid price for MSBA-approved projects is $480 per square foot, the MSBA only reimburses projects at a rate of $333 per square foot.
While the reimbursement formula does account for socioeconomic factors, the student poverty formula caps the number of reimbursement points all districts serving 33 percent or more than the state average of low-income students actually receive, Crighton’s office said.
The legislation is intended to update that formula to ensure school districts serving a greater proportion of low-income students receive an appropriate increase in state funding for capital projects.
“We must get serious about the construction and modernization of our public schools,” said Capano. “Relying on outdated data formulas and reimbursement requirements prevents communities with a higher proportion of low-income students from access to safe and modern buildings.
“This bill aims to even the playing field for gateway communities like Lynn and will give all students in the Commonwealth the opportunity to receive a 21st century education.”
Those with questions about the bill are encouraged to reach out to Crighton’s office at (617) 722-1350, or at [email protected].
