BOSTON — The Massachusetts House and Senate Ways & Means committees have reached an agreement on local aid and Chapter 70 funding as part of the fiscal year 2022 state budget.
The agreement, reached last week, seeks to provide certainty and predictability for Massachusetts communities, funds the first year of the Student Opportunity Act (SOA) and puts the state back on schedule to fully implement the SOA by Fiscal Year 2027, according to state Sen. Brendan Crighton’s (D-Lynn) office.
It also funds Chapter 70 at its highest level ever ($5.503 billion), an increase of $219.6 million over FY21, which fully funds one-sixth of the implementation of the Student Opportunity Act.
“Despite fiscal challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are committed to fully funding the Student Opportunity Act,” said Crighton. “I look forward to enacting an FY22 budget that fully funds our K-12 public schools and fulfills the Student Opportunity Act’s promise of equitable funding for low-income students, English learners, and students with disabilities.”
The area’s House delegation agreed with Crighton that funding the Student Opportunity Act would benefit public education, especially in Lynn.
“Over the past 16 months, with the significant hurdles posed by this pandemic, the legislature’s unwavering commitment to funding the Student Opportunity Act will result in a massive infusion of additional funding for public education, particularly the Lynn Public Schools,” state Rep. Daniel Cahill (D-Lynn) said.
“Now more than ever, our students and teachers deserve every available tool at their disposal to overcome any residual effects from the lack of in-person learning and we must make up for lost time as quickly and effectively as possible.”
State Rep. Peter Capano (D-Lynn) said the agreement would help fulfill the promise of the SOA.
“The legislature’s commitment to fully funding the SOA, along with the creation of an enrollment reserve fund, will provide cities and towns with stability and greater certainty around funding during these unpredictable times,” said Capano.
State Rep. Lori Ehrlich (D-Marblehead), who also represents Swampscott and parts of Lynn, said the SOA contains “some of the most progressive school funding legislation in the country.
“This agreement ensures that the Commonwealth will be on schedule to maintain that commitment and create a stronger, more equitable school system for every student in Massachusetts,” said Ehrlich.
State Rep. Jessica Giannino (D-Revere), who also represents Saugus, said the agreement ensures that Massachusetts communities do not get left behind in the wake of COVID-19 uncertainties.
“I am proud that despite the challenges our Commonwealth has faced over the last calendar year and this fiscal year, the legislature has committed to ensuring our municipalities and schools will be receiving their fair share in Fiscal Year 2022,” she said.
“I thank (House Ways & Means) Chairman (Aaron) Michlewitz, Speaker (Ronald) Mariano and the Senate leadership as well for making sure our communities do not get left behind in the wake of the uncertainties of the COVID pandemic.”
For state Rep. Donald Wong (R-Saugus), it’s all about education.
“Education is very important for our youth’s future,” he said. “This is one thing no one can ever take away from our students and this is what happens when local, state, and federal governments work together to better our community.”
And Lynnfield representative Bradley Jones said getting early local aid numbers is crucial.
“As a former municipal official, I appreciate just how important it is for communities to get early local aid numbers they can rely on and use to build their local budgets,” said Jones, who is the House Minority Leader. “The release of these figures provides a sense of certainty and offers a strong foundation for communities to begin crafting their budgets for the upcoming fiscal year. ”
The final provision of this agreement provides $1.16 billion in Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) to support our cities and towns. This is an increase of $39.5 million over FY21 and will provide stability and additional fiscal support to cities and towns across the Commonwealth to ensure a strong recovery from COVID-19.
