Listening In: Visiting the Statehouse

Of prime importance to me as a former educator is updating public school funding. Since 1993, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has made only minor revisions to the Foundation Budget, the funding formulae that determine how much state education aid is allotted to each public school district as well as the calculation of what the school district municipality is expected to contribute.

As a former educator - and as a parent and now grandparent - I have witnessed the impact shorting public schools has had over the 30 years I was actively teaching. Special education, English Language Learners and students impacted by poverty all need supports that have dwindled or become non-existent. Social workers, nurses, class sizes.... all impacted by the Commonwealth's inability to live up to its responsibilities to educate all students no matter where they live.

An effort to update those formulae in 2015, the Foundation Budget Review Commission (FBRC), made recommendations not only to the calculations and basis for funding, the FBRC also made other recommendations. A summary of the FBRC recommendations can be found on MASC's website (here) or you can download the FBRC 2015 report in its entirety here.