BOSTON — The Massachusetts Legislature approved $1.39 billion in new investments in public transportation and public education across the Commonwealth. The supplemental budget — funded by surplus revenue from the Fair Share surtax on incomes over $1 million, allocates $716 million for transportation and $593.5 million for education at every level.
To allocate the surplus, this supplemental budget makes significant investments in the MBTA, Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs), water transportation, roads, and bridges — with the goal of advancing affordable, safe, and reliable transit for all residents. It also provides critical support for public colleges and universities, expands vocational education programs, and strengthens services for students with disabilities.
The supplemental budget is a compromise between the House and Senate versions of the bill. It utilizes the above-estimated revenues generated from the Fair Share ballot initiative approved by voters in November 2022, which established a new surtax of four percent on annual income above $1 million to improve the state’s education and transportation sectors. It also utilizes one-time revenues from the Student Opportunity Act Investment Fund and the Transitional Escrow Fund.
“Transportation and education are two foundational pieces of our Commonwealth, and funding them through surplus revenue from the Fair Share surtax ensures that we continue to strengthen them,” Sen. Brendan Crighton said. “Delivering on the promise of the Fair Share Amendment that had overwhelming voter support, I am proud to join my colleagues in passing this supplemental budget that will expand our education programs, invest in transit, and address the needs of residents of Massachusetts.”
“What better way to use the surtax revenue than to fix roads and bridges and fund special education? These investments improve life for everyone,” Rep. Jenny Armini said. “And cash-strapped cities and towns will receive welcome relief.”
“This supplemental budget delivers on the promise we made to voters when they approved the Fair Share Amendment,” Rep. Dan Cahill said. “By reinvesting in our public schools, childcare, transportation infrastructure, and workforce development, we are creating a stronger, more equitable Commonwealth. I’m proud to support funding that directly benefits our students, local roads, and regional transit.”
“It’s great to see Fair Share revenues thriving and being used to fulfill the original vision, investing in infrastructure, education, and opportunity,” Rep. Sean Reid said. “This budget supports learning at every stage, from early childhood to college to adult education, while also modernizing our transit systems and helping strengthen our communities across Massachusetts.”
Having passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, the bill was signed by the Governor on Tuesday.
Key Transportation Investments
MBTA Upgrades. $535 million for improvements and infrastructure upgrades across the MBTA system, including:
- $300 million to support the MBTA budget reserve.
- $175 million in workforce and safety funding to implement improvements recommended by the Federal Transit Administration.
- $40 million for MBTA physical infrastructure upgrades.
- $20 million for the MBTA’s low-income fare relief program.
Aid For Cities and Towns. $103 million for regionally equitable, shovel-ready transportation improvements, including:
- $80 million for supplemental Chapter 90 aid to ensure every city and town receives funding to maintain local roads and bridges, including $40 million to help support small and rural communities by distributing funds based solely on road mileage.
- $16.4 million for municipally owned small bridges and culverts.
- $7 million for the improvement and maintenance of unpaved roads.
Regional Equity in Transportation. $73 million for regional transit initiatives, specifically:
- $25 million for capital improvements to equipment and facilities at Regional Transit Authorities, which serve and connect all regions of the Commonwealth.
- $25 million for efforts to improve workforce recruitment and retention at the Regional Transit Authorities.
- $13 million for public ferry infrastructure improvements.
- $10 million for on-demand micro-transit shuttles and Last Mile grants fostering an innovative multimodal transit system.
World Cup Preparations: $5 million for transportation improvements associated with the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Key Education Investments
Special Education. $248 million for special education costs, including Circuit Breaker reimbursements to local school districts.
Public Higher Education Deferred Maintenance. $115 million for public higher education infrastructure investments, including $10 million for lab modernization capital improvements and upgrades at community colleges, helping ensure community colleges have the needed resources to provide a first-class education to the surge of students signing up after passage of MassEducate, which provides free community college to Massachusetts residents.
Career Technical Education Capital Grants. $100 million to expand capacity and accommodate additional career technical education school opportunities, including $15 million for a pilot program to support career and vocational technical annex buildings on comprehensive high school campuses.
EEC Workforce, Affordability, and Quality Improvement. $45 million for initiatives to support workforce development, affordability and quality improvements in the early education and care sector, including $20 million for rate increases to support early education providers.
Literacy Growth. $25 million for high dosage tutoring to support accelerated literacy growth and success for students in kindergarten through grade 3.
Endowment Match. $20 million for the endowment incentive match program to leverage public funds to encourage private fundraising by the state’s public higher education institutions to support accessible and affordable education programming, including $10 million for a Department of Higher Education (DHE) endowment incentive match and $10 million for the University of Massachusetts endowment incentive program.
English Language Learning Programs. $10 million for educational grants to help speakers of languages other than English to learn English—and subsequently aid in filling in-demand jobs — by reducing the waitlist for services.
Holocaust Museum Boston. $10 million to support the Holocaust Museum Boston.
Green SchoolWorks. $10 million for grants to eligible local school districts for clean energy infrastructure improvements and upgrades.
Regional School Transportation. $8.1 million to support regional school transportation costs.
Tomorrow’s Teachers Scholarship and Loan Forgiveness. $2.475 million for scholarships and loan forgiveness initiatives to encourage qualified high school and currently-enrolled college students to seek teaching in the Massachusetts public school system as a career pathway.
