25 years later, our school funding formula needs a big fix

Massachusetts schools have changed a lot in the last 25 years, though you wouldn’t know it by looking at our funding formula. That’s because it hasn’t been updated since it was first introduced in 1993.

The Chapter 70 formula was intended to help address the stark achievement gaps between wealthy and low-income school districts. The formula takes into account things like employee benefit costs and programs for Special Education, English Language Learners, and low-income students in order to distribute state aid to local school districts. But because the funding formula has been unchanged since before Justin Bieber was born, Massachusetts schools, and especially those that serve its most vulnerable populations, are chronically underfunded - to the tune of over $1 billion per year, according to a recent study by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center.

This year, advocates have come closer than ever to reversing this failure: in May, the Massachusetts Senate, responding to years of careful study and planning by the Foundation Budget Review Commission that highlighted the massive funding gaps, voted to update the Chapter 70 formula. Despite unanimous, bipartisan support in the Senate, however, the Massachusetts House of Representatives chose to pass a reduced bill which cut fixes for low-income students and English Language Learners out of the formula, for reasons that simply don’t pass careful inspection. This deeply unfortunate decision threatens our ability to close what is one of the nation’s worst public education achievement gaps and do right by our most vulnerable students.

Woburn schools need this revision too: since the formula’s creation in 1993, our English Language Learner population has grown from 1.3% of the district to 7.4% while our low-income student population has almost doubled, from 14.4% to 26.4%. This causes strain on resources throughout the district, leading to program cuts, understaffing, and a lack of necessary support which affect every one of our students. While the Woburn Public Schools have responded admirably to these challenges, modernizing our funding would have immediate benefits for every student in the Woburn Public Schools. The recent Massachusetts Budget and Policy report estimated that Woburn Public Schools would get receive nearly $2 million per year in additional funds under a fully updated formula.

But to do this, Massachusetts House leadership needs to hear from everyone who cares about fair and fully-funded public education. So, please contact the lawmakers below and tell them to include ELL and low-income students in any updated formula. We can’t move forward by leaving our most vulnerable students behind. Let’s work together to fund our schools!

Representative James J. Dwyer (Woburn Wards 2-6): 617-722-2220
Representative Jay R. Kaufman (Woburn Wards 1 and 7): 617-722-2320
Education Committee Chairperson Alice Peisch: 617-722-2070
Conference Committee Member Claire Cronin: 617-722-2396
Conference Committee Member Kimberly Ferguson: 617-722-2263
Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo: 617-722-2500

Woburn Welcomes
www.woburnwelcomes.com