Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The House’s budget committee today released a $39.48 billion state spending plan for fiscal 2017 that would add nearly $34 million in local education aid over the governor’s proposal and matches the governor’s number for unrestricted municipal aid.
The budget bill drafted by the House Ways and Means Committee (H. 4200) adds $23.7 million in Chapter 70 education aid as well as $10 million for a reserve account to aid communities impacted by changes in the calculations used to account for low-income students.
Chapter 70 would increase by $95.8 million over the current year, with a provision providing every city, town and school district an increase of at least $55 per student. The budget would continue to implement the target share provisions enacted in 2007. Because most cities and towns only receive minimum aid, this increase would benefit the vast majority of communities.
The new $10 million reserve would supplement Chapter 70 distributions to address shortfalls in aid levels due to the new methodology used to count low-income students. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education would administer this program and make funding decisions by October 2016.
The House bill, like the governor’s, includes a $42 million increase in Unrestricted General Government Aid, bringing the account to $1.021 billion. The 4.3 percent increase, which matches the projected rate of growth of state tax revenues, would be the largest increase in discretionary municipal aid in nearly a decade. Every city and town would see its UGGA funding increase by 4.3 percent.
• Link to Division of Local Services website for fiscal 2017 local aid estimates based on House Ways and Means budget proposal
• Download Section 3 (local aid amounts for each city, town and regional school district, PDF)
• Link to House budget website
The House proposal would increase the special education circuit breaker account by $5 million, to $276.7 million, with the intention of fully funding a program that every city, town and school district relies on to fund state-mandated services.
The House Ways and Means budget would add $1 million to regional school transportation reimbursements, bringing the account to $60 million.
Funding for charter school reimbursements would increase by $5 million, but would still be underfunded. Under state law, cities and towns that host or send students to charter schools are entitled to be reimbursed for a portion of their lost Chapter 70 aid. The state fully funded the reimbursement program in fiscal 2013 and 2014, but is underfunding reimbursements by approximately $46.5 million this year. The House Ways and Means budget would increase funding for charter school reimbursements to $85.5 million, but this is $15 million less than the amount recommended by the governor. Increasing this account will be a top MMA priority during the budget debate.
The House budget committee’s proposal would level-fund PILOT payments at $26.77 million, continue to fund library grant programs at $18.83 million, level-fund METCO at $20.1 million, and level-fund McKinney-Vento reimbursements at $8.35 million. All four of these accounts are funded at the same levels in the governor’s budget.
The House bill would reduce Shannon Anti-Gang Grants to $5 million, a $2 million reduction.
The overall bottom line of the House budget is $76 million less than the governor’s proposal. House leaders called it a conservative plan that does not include any new taxes or fee increases and relies on just $235 million in one-time revenues. Total spending would increase by 3.3 percent.
The House is scheduled to begin its budget debate on Monday, April 25, with the Senate to follow in late May, with the goal of having a final budget bill to the governor for his signature before the fiscal year begins on July 1.