State House News Service
BOSTON - The state Board of Education is weighing a proposal to increase spending on K-12 public education next fiscal year by 10 percent, to $4.7 billion.
The plan, discussed at a special budget planning meeting Thursday, would bump up funds for failing schools, standardized testing programs and programs to shrink student achievement gaps between the highest and lowest performing Bay State students.
The budget proposal includes $4.3 billion in local aid funding, a $285 million increase over the current fiscal year. Chapter 70 aid to cities and towns would increase to $3.9 billion, up $193 million over this year’s allocation.
The board is concerned with protecting funding for programs that address the widening achievement gap in the Bay State, board Chairman Paul Reville told the News Service after the meeting. The budget proposal, which will go before the full board later this month, calls for a $43 million fund, up from the current $13.2 million, to help teachers pull up low-performing students.
Reville said the board’s budget priorities also include grants for students and training teachers who teach some of Massachusetts’ 50,000 foreign language students.
"It is an area where I think we need to focus on," said Reville.
Reville said two additional priorities include the $20.6 million purse for the Metco program, which places minority urban students in suburban school districts, and a new $1 million bank to fund a program to prepare students to enter an international workplace.
Some of the most significant increases would go to programs designed to prevent students from dropping out of school. For instance, a $39 million fund, up from $30 million currently, would pay for programs for failing schools in 46 school districts. And a $12 million budget item would reinstate a health education program for counseling and substance abuse prevention.
"The sense of urgency [about high dropout rates] has to be reflected in this budget," said Ruth Kaplan, a board member.
In addition, the budget proposal includes $32 million for an MCAS student assessment program, a $4.7 million increase from 2008.
The board plans to approve the final budget proposal during their next meeting on Nov. 27 before sending it to administration officials for review later this year.
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Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.
Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.
The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.
Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.
Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.
Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.
Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.
The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.
The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.
Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.
Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years.
He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.
Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.
Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.
Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.
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