Gov. Maura Healey introduced a plan to fund public schools in the state an additional $100 million.
The money for the supplemental budget will come from Fair Share Amendment revenue that’s already been collected, she said, and won’t cost taxpayers any additional money, she said. She also said the funding is flexible, allowing districts to put it where they need it.
“It will help our schools avoid cutting the programs and services that they need every day for our students,” said Healey.
Healey said that the federal funding gaps under the Trump administration have caused several school districts to cut teachers and services, and that schools have been pleading for help.
Healey said the funding is crucial to every school district in the state, with each the same amount — $112 per student — throughout the state.
“Every child deserves the chance to dream bigger, to achieve more, and to build a brighter future right here in Massachusetts,” she said. “That’s been our promise, and that is why we are doing everything that we can to deliver on it.”
The supplemental budget will first go to the House for discussion, but teachers and union members in the schools are begging for speed for this particular bill.
Christy Nickerson, president of the Woburn Teachers Association, called the funding “welcome news to the members of the Massachusetts Teachers Association who have been advocating for relief from the devastating fiscal crisis that has been bearing down on schools in cities and towns across the state.”
“While $100 million is significant, it will not be enough to fully counterbalance the challenges that our communities face,” she said.
Erik Berg, president of the Boston Teachers Union, said “we urge leaders in the House and Senate to pass this legislation this month so that districts can restore positions and hire staff before the school year starts in just a few weeks.”
The governor also said the budget needs to be passed quickly, but doesn’t put a date on it, instead focusing on this being a one-time measure with the goal of getting money out the door.
