This is a list of community support for our specific proposal to mitigate the financial cost impact of charter school and school choice public funding on low and moderate income districts. For endorsements of other proposals and bills to address state local school aid differently see the section labeled “other proposals” at the bottom of the page.
Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee
Amherst-Pelham Regional School committee unanimously endorsed our advocacy proposal via a resolution on 10/22/2024
This is a link to the local petition in support of this advocacy https://chng.it/YVHt2sHtCk
Amherst School Committee
Amherst School committee unanimously endorsed our advocacy proposal via a resolution on 11/19/2024
This is a link to the local petition in support of this advocacy https://chng.it/YVHt2sHtCk
Easthampton School Committee
The Easthampton School Committee voted 1/14/2025 unanimously via resolution to endorse the MASS PROMISE TO INVEST sending tuition underwriting proposal
Greenfield School Committee
Greenfield School Committee unanimously endorsed our advocacy proposal via a endorsement of our public petition on 10/9/2024
Here is a link to the public petition https://www.change.org/p/for-the-commonwealth-to-increase-state-aid-to-the-greenfield-public-schools-by-4-million
Northampton School Committee
Northampton School committee unanimously endorsed our advocacy proposal via a resolution on 10/10/2024
Here is a link to Northampton’s public petition in support of the advocacy http://tiny.cc/mm9mzz
Northampton City Council
Northampton City Council unanimously endorsed our advocacy proposal via a resolution on 10/1/2024
Here is a link to Northampton’s public petition in support of the advocacy http://tiny.cc/mm9mzz
South Hadley School Committee
South Hadley School Committee unanimously voted to support
the MASS Promise to Invest proposal on 12/19/24
Other Proposals
Senator Lewis (D – 5th Middlesex),Senator Comerford (D – Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester) and others have filed Senate Bill 1912, An Act to ensure adequate and equitable funding for public education.
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/SD1912
This bill would establish a new foundation review budget commission to review the distribution and calculation of chapter 70 funding. Mass Promise To Invest fully supports this bill.
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A broad coalition of Massachusetts education advocates have sent this letter to Governor Healey in response to the fiscal crisis of over 200 school districts in the Commonwealth identifying their legislative priorities.
We agree broadly with the stated need of the United For Our Future coalition, but given limited funding availability we want to see more districts included in the distribution of potential new funding. Chapter 70 funding and other education funding policies have asymmetrical outcomes for many districts.
For declining enrollment districts and districts with high sending tuition assessments for charter school and school choice public funding, the true cost of education in these districts is not internalized in the funding formula. As a result, these districts would be excluded from significant funding benefit from addressing the inflation error in the funding formula.
Special education funding via the special education circuit breaker specifically is based on claims and specific wealthy (and sometimes larger) districts claim a disproportionate share of the circuit breaker funding because the parents in these districts and the school district have more resources to advocate for the individual special education needs of their students. Without studying special education funding, many low income districts will continue to be unable to receive funding reflective of their district’s special educational needs.
Other Proposals relating to charter school funding reform
Representative Brandy Fluker-Reid (D- 12th Suffolk) filed house bill 2825 which substantially increases charter school reimbursement.
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/HD2825
We support any direct efforts to mitigate the cost impact of charter school funding on low and moderate income school districts. This bill “An Act honoring the Commonwealth’s commitment to public school districts” is in the same spirit as our advocacy, requesting the Commonwealth honors its commitment to supporting public school districts.
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The Mass Municipal Association in 2024 published the following resolution which includes advocating that “The Governor and the Legislature should amend charter school finance law, to bring transparency and accountability to the law by limiting charter school tuition assessments placed on local government and providing a means for direct state appropriation of additional tuition payments to charter schools, funded in the state budget“
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Representative Cabral (D-13th Bristol) filed H-488 to address charter school public funding
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/HD488
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In 2019 the Massachusetts Association of School Committees passed this resolution regarding the issue of charter school public funding https://www.masc.org/public-policy-updates/report-on-the-2019-delegate-assembly/#19res-9
MASS Promise to Invest: School Funding for Every Child 