How Framingham and Marlborough Short Changed Disadvantaged Students

A prior article explained how local taxpayer funding for the school district budgets in both of these cities was substantially cut when state Student Opportunity Act (SOA) funding flowed into each city in FY23 and FY24, to boost educational support for low income, special needs and English learner students. See:

An Educational Crisis is Unfolding in Framingham

That meant that SOA classroom impact was substantially diminished, contrary to the obvious intent of the state to improve education for disadvantaged students.

Two things were not obvious in this initial review of the similar behavior of Framingham and Marlborough in their planned diversion of money away from disadvantaged students:

1. How unusual these two cities were in their lack of support for students, compared to neighboring towns and cities.
2. Where the money went.

The Remarkably Poor Support for Education in Framingham and Marlborough

Two graphics were included in the prior article, showing how the city taxpayer dollars supporting the school district budget dropped starting in FY23. Here is the Framingham data:

Note that the final blue data point, for FY26, is the amount the Framingham School Committee approved prior to the Mayor’s planned $2.5 million cut.

Here is the Marlborough data:

To make a comparison with other cities and towns, it is necessary to look at a different measure of education spending. The local contribution is simply the taxpayer funded portion of the school budget.

However, the state tracks a measure which includes education expenses outside of the school budget, including education related health insurance, pension payments and so on. That measure is called Net School Spending (NSS), which gives a more complete picture of all city or town spending on education.

NSS has two pieces: the taxpayer funded portion and the Chapter 70 state funding piece. The NSS and Chapter 70 funding data for all school districts across Massachusetts is available here and is used for the following charts.

The first shows Framingham and Marlborough data, with a few surrounding municipalities:

It is quite obvious that of the 6 cities and towns shown, only Framingham and Marlborough lowered their taxpayer funded portion of Net School Spending in FY23 and FY24, when boosted Student Opportunity Act funds rolled in. Every other municipality held steady or increased their local taxpayer funding of their schools.

Looking at a further set of municipalities reinforces that picture. Here is another set:

The trend is obvious.

The great irony is that the two communities, of all those shown, which have the largest populations of low income, special needs and English learner students, are Framingham and Marlborough and those two cities decided to lower their support for education just as the state raised its support.

Where Did the Money Diverted From Students Go?

In both Framingham and Marlborough reserve funds got a big boost in FY23 and FY24 from the funds diverted from local support for education. This was shown in detailed graphics for the case of Framingham in the prior article:

Framingham's Budget Process Is Designed to Confuse and Deceive

The Municipal Databank shows that from FY23 to FY24, cash reserves in Framingham jumped by almost $20 million. Similarly, in Marlborough, cash reserves jumped by $15 million in that period, but also from the Municipal Databank, Marlborough cut its property tax levy by $5.5 million/year.

Financial reserves were built, and tax cuts were delivered on the back of students.

All Students Suffer From These Egregious Financial Manipulations

One thing to keep in mind for both of these cities is that their demographics are rapidly changing due to rising immigrant local populations. However, when state funding, especially designed to ensure those students get a sound educational start in life, is diverted into city coffers and tax breaks, all students suffer.

I know the Framingham case best, but Marlborough is similar.

In Framingham, all the cuts the school district is facing in its FY26 budget are to general education support. The cuts hit:

1. Pre-K expansion
2. The SAGE program
3. Fine Arts
4. Classroom coaches in STEM & Humanities
5. Timely failing school roof replacements

The Quiet Abandonment of the Framingham Public Schools by Teachers and Parents

Less well known to the community is that the rate of teacher flight from Framingham Public Schools has more than tripled in the last several years. That can be verified by looking at the turnover savings in each annual school district budget. Those are the savings realized when an experienced teacher leaves and is replaced by an entry level teacher. The savings is about $40,000 for each teacher turnover, according to Lincoln Lynch, Executive Director of Finance & Operations in the school district.

When I finished my term on the School Committee, turnover savings in the school district FY22 budget was $1.75 million, corresponding to about 44 teachers leaving. In the current FY26 proposed budget, turnover savings is estimated at $5.75 million, corresponding to 144 teachers leaving.

Anecdotal evidence on teacher morale supports this flight.

From a reliable source in the teaching community, a teacher, widely recognized as a topflight practitioner, is now finding it so difficult to manage classrooms with diminished language aide support, that she is contemplating leaving. That is a real canary in the coal mine.

Further, parents are starting to move their children out of the Framingham Public Schools. Here is a quote from an email recently received, and published with the consent of the parent author:

“Your email hits home.

My son is currently in 7th grade, and we’ve been seriously considering leaving Framingham for the very reasons you described. If we choose to stay, we will definitely enroll him into a private school. It would be a financial sacrifice for our family, but sending him to Framingham High School would be a far greater sacrifice to his education. This concern is not unique to us. I know several families in Framingham who have already opted for private education due to the disappointing quality of our public schools. It’s disheartening, because I wish it weren’t this way—I wish our schools were stronger, more competitive, and capable of inspiring confidence in the community.

- Concerned Framingham Citizen”

Action That Can Turn Things Around

The first thing all parents and grandparents can do is turn up to the FY26 Budget Public Hearing on Tuesday, May 13 at City Hall and object to the Mayor’s $2.5 million cut to the school district budget. Anyone can make a public comment. You will typically get 2 minutes to speak.

You can also contact all your friends in Framingham and encourage them to do likewise. Here is a link to a flyer which summarizes the crisis:

Say NO to Framingham Schools Budget Cuts

If you want to distribute copies of that flyer to other folks to get their support for the schools, email me at geoffreynepstein@gmail.com and I shall drop off however many flyers you need. But act quickly!