Right now, the Commonwealth and its cities and towns are facing hard decisions given the economic devastation caused by COVID-19. Yet, we know many advocates and elected officials alike still hold the value that every MA child, regardless of zip code, should have access to a quality education, including arts education.
The COVID-19 public health emergency has exposed many of the structural weaknesses and inequities in our society, from our health systems to our economic systems; from our education systems to our public and social safety net. And the most vulnerable are hit the hardest. State revenue loss and looming budget cuts mean these inequities could seep even further into our education system.
Send an email to your State Legislators
Come fall, whether students are learning through virtual or physical classrooms, education funding needs to be preserved. Chapter 70, the state's major program of state aid to public elementary and secondary schools, needs to be preserved. Additionally, the value of equitable access to education made possible by the Student Opportunity Act should be upheld.
*The Chapter 70 program is the major program of state aid to public elementary and secondary schools. In addition to providing state aid to support school operations, it also establishes minimum spending requirements for each school district and minimum requirements for each municipality's share of school costs.
*The Student Opportunity Act, signed into law on November 26, 2019, provides an additional $1.5 billion in new funding over 7 years to Massachusetts public schools. It is the most significant update of the state education funding system since the Massachusetts Education Reform Act was enacted in 1993 and its primary aim is to close opportunity gaps that for years have led to disparate educational outcomes across the state. The primary beneficiaries will be low-income students, students of color and English learners who have been left behind by the outdated system.
