By Mr. Payano, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 440) of Pavel M. Payano for legislation to adjust the state funding allocated to public schools in Massachusetts (through the "Chapter 70" program) to account for rising inflation costs. Education.
By Mr. Lewis, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 394) of Jason M. Lewis, Joanne M. Comerford and Leigh Davis for legislation to increase the Commonwealth's share of the education foundation budget. Education.
By Mr. Fattman, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 352) of Ryan C. Fattman, Marcus S. Vaughn and Bruce E. Tarr for legislation relative to MSBA school funding increases for technical schools. Education.
By Ms. Kennedy, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 388) of Robyn K. Kennedy, Vanna Howard, Jacob R. Oliveira, Mike Connolly and other members of the General Court for legislation to fix the chapter 70 inflation adjustment. Education.
HD 64 directs Massachusetts' School Building Advisory Board to study how school facilities are funded, specifically focusing on technical, vocational, and agricultural schools that require more resources than standard schools. The bill mandates the board to examine creating a new funding formula that would provide increased support for these specialized schools. The board must issue a final report with recommendations by January 1, 2027, to the state legislature's education committees. This bill does not change current funding but requires a study to address potential disparities in facility costs.
HD 2775 amends Massachusetts school funding rules to ensure school districts cannot be denied a grant application solely due to the age of their school facilities. The bill specifically adds Section 5A to Chapter 70B, stating that the Massachusetts School Building Authority must not reject applications based only on the age of the system needing repair. However, the Authority may still consider age when prioritizing which projects get approved or receive reimbursements, and may prioritize repairing older systems. This directly affects school districts seeking state funding for facility upgrades.
This bill creates tax credits for employers to fund high school vocational programs and increases funding for vocational education. Employers (both non-corporate and business corporations) can claim up to $100,000 annually in tax credits for spending on the new high school trade partnership program. The program requires public high schools to partner with private employers for vocational training, with standards for safety, academic requirements, and alignment with regional job needs. It also raises construction reimbursement rates for vocational schools to 75-90% and increases per-pupil funding for vocational students based on inflation. These changes directly affect employers, public high schools, and vocational education programs across Massachusetts.
HD 1428 permanently establishes a Foundation Budget Review Commission to evaluate Massachusetts' school funding formula every five years. The commission, composed of education leaders, legislative leaders, and school district representatives, will review how foundation budgets are calculated, recommend changes to better align with educational goals and student assessment needs (like MCAS), and suggest efficient resource allocation. It must hold at least four public hearings statewide before issuing recommendations, with the first report due by November 1, 2025. This bill directly affects public school funding decisions across Massachusetts by creating a permanent process for reviewing and updating the state's school finance system.
By Representative Sena of Acton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 704) of Danillo A. Sena and Margaret R. Scarsdale relative to increasing the Commonwealth's share of the education foundation budget. Education.
By Representative Cruz of Salem, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 536) of Manny Cruz for legislation to establish a municipal education fund to be administered by the commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Education.
