There’ll be no Sunday Notes Column this week, as I’m taking the weekend off. But here’s a little Saturday morning budget breakfast item for you to chew on:
This past Wednesday, the Massachusetts House of Representatives Ways and Means Budget was released.
Not only did Lowell get ZERO increase in Chapter 70 (School Funding), but the House also gave the middle finger to EVERY City and Town in MA and cut back on the minimal increase in their Unrestricted Local Aid.
https://malegislature.gov/Budget/FY2027/HouseWaysMeansBudget/Ways_Means_Final_Budget
https://budget.digital.mass.gov/govbudget/fy27/local-aid/
In the Governor’s proposed budget Lowell was set to receive $275,966,413 in Chapter 70 and $32,137,740 in Unrestricted Local Aid
The House stayed the same in Chapt 70 but Unrestricted Aid was reduced to $31,592,675
Which is unfortunate because Lowell like many communities were counting on the House to INCREASE Chapt 70 at least a little which it did for some surrounding communities just not Lowell.
Lowell and the surrounding communities saw a slight decrease in local aid.
In my view this means that not only will we see many cuts on the school side but without more local aid, even with a 5%-5.5% increase the city side will see a good number of cuts in all citywide departments.
Here’s what surrounding communities are facing:
Billerica: Gov Chapt 70 $21,705,709 Unrestricted local Aid $7,429,751
House: Chapt 70 $22,129,264 Unrestricted local Aid $7,303,740
Chelmsford: Gov – $15,838,549 Unrestricted local Aid $ 6,475,97
House – $16,278,424 $ 6,366,141
Dracut: Gov – $28,416,439 Unrestricted local Aid $ 4,470,434
House: $ $28,733,489 $ $4,394,614
Tewksbury: Gov – $14,891,147 Unrestricted local Aid $ 3,551,229
House – $15,173,007 $ 3,490,999
3 responses to “House Ways and Means Budget – NO Help for Lowell”
Fair points you made Mr. Nutter, I think that cities, towns and even at the state level should brace for perhaps more cuts should the state income tax ballot question if it appears on this November election ballot passed which I believe is a binding question last time I checked. The current state income is at 5%. If the ballot question passed, it would reduce it down to 4%. This would have an effect statewide and not just Lowell.
Ops, I forgotten to say I meant FY2028 (July 1, 2027 to June 30, 2028) in my above comment. Adding onto what I said, whatever cuts would have to be made in FY2028 to balance the budget if applicable, there would be additional cuts have to be made on top of that due to the state income tax being lower. So rather than the “usual cut”, it would be a “double cut” if that makes any sense. Personally, I think that our state is in big financial trouble for sure. We need a miracle to happen to stay out of it.
The time has come to make the Chapter 70 funding formula MORE progressive because its not FAIR or EQUAL. More money and aid needs to be given to the truly actual and absolute cost of educating low-income students, as well as special education students that have high and great needs, because the poorer cities and towns account for the highest costs of educating these needy and disadvantaged students. Eliminating the minimum aid to wealthy school districts is the urgent solution needed to ensure that state education funding FAIRLY and EQUALLY aligns with the actual and real school district needs rather than guaranteed minimum aid for the wealthy school districts.
In 2019, (Mussotte v. Peyser), Parents from several districts (including Chelsea, Chicopee, and Fall River) sued the state alleging that the funding formula’s failure to provide adequate resources in low-income districts violated the state constitution’s education and equal rights clauses.
The local State Representatives and State Senator must and need to aggressively advocate by citing and leveraging (Mussotte v. Peyser). They can argue that “minimum aid” for wealthy districts creates an “unreasonable, wealth-based inequity” that prevents the state from meeting its constitutional duty to provide a level playing field for poor and greatly disadvantaged students.
One of the saddest and most depressing movies I’ve ever watched was THE TOWN. But, one of the best lines in the movie was the line delivered by FBI Special Agent Adam Frawley during an investigation scene in the movie which was, “This is the not fucking around crew’’! That’s EXACTLY the kind of State Representatives & State Senators we need to elect!!!