Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley said for years the state has been providing a 'one size fits all model' for funding and that is now changing with such programs as rural school aid.
DALTON, Mass. — Rural schools will receive additional support this year after state Sen. Adam Hinds successfully secured a $1.5 million budget allocation for additional aid.
The budget line provides districts below certain incomes and density $100 extra per student. The sparsity aid program helps rural schools with funding struggles keep up with larger schools throughout the state.
"In a rural school our fixed costs are the same, they are just as high as anywhere in the state. The problem is our population is low and the resources available are also low. This shot in the arm is a great start in the right direction," said state Rep. Paul Mark said.
Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley made the announcement of the final totals at a press conference at Wahconah High School on Monday. Central Berkshire Regional School District will receive the highest amount of the 33 districts with $246,056 in additional aid.
Mohawk Trail Regional Schools will see $132,932 extra that Superintendent Michael Buoniconti said will go toward upgrading technology the students use.
"For Mohawk, we are spending almost all of this money on buying Chromebooks for our students in Grades 7 through 12, which is a gamechanger for our kids. It is a game changer with how instruction is going to be delivered, for our student's understanding of digital literacy, it is just a profound difference," he said.
The new program stems first from a student headed by DESE to look at the funding issues associated with rural schools.
"In the last budget cycle, we compelled DESE to look at the fiscal condition of rural schools throughout the commonwealth. The surprise of probably nobody, they confirmed it is true. Student enrollment is going down in rural schools in the last 10 years while it has been flat in the commonwealth. It is true that rural schools are spending more per pupil for their teachers and paraprofessionals and are spending 50 percent more on transportation," Hinds said.
That study also coincides with a study looking at the Chapter 70 school funding formula. A foundation formula commission ruled that schools across the state are underfunded.
This year the Legislature upped its Chapter 70 allocation, upped its regional school transportation aid, and created the rural sparsity aid program.
"It is just the beginning. I think it is an important precedent being established here and I think it is going to grow. The hardest thing to do is to establish the reasoning, the justification, for a new legislative initiative and that's already been done," said state Rep. Stephen Kulik.
"Now the work is to increase it, expanding it, make it stronger, to respond to changing dynamics in our school districts."
State Rep. Paul Mark said rural schools have the same overhead costs as others but less in available resources to pay for it.
Discussion about changing the way schools are funded is expected to continue when the next legislative session opens in 2019. Riley said the current model hasn't provided equity across the state.
"For a long time in education, we've doled out resources on a one-size-fits-all model. Massachusetts is very proud of itself for being No. 1 in the country on various test scores and metrics. That's a great thing. But also when we look deeper into the information what we see is we are really No. 1 for some. Kids living in poverty, kids with special needs, second-language learners, and kids living in a rural area aren't being given the same opportunities that kids are in other places," the commission said.
"It is incumbent upon us to fix that. Today the rural aid announcement is one way toward addressing issues."
Hinds had originally pitched more for the program. He wanted $300 per student for districts with 21 students per square mile. But, being a new program, he had to scale his proposal back to get the needed support. The program now gives $100 per student at schools with less than 10 students per square mile.
Hinds hopes the program will both expand in the number of districts to receive funds and increase the amount of funds received.
"We do hope this effort is just the starting point. We do hope it is the starting point also for keeping the foot on the pedal for other funding areas that include school transportation," Hinds said.
The additional funds each of the 33 schools will receive is available below. Riley said the districts will receive the funds within a couple weeks.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
North Street Parking Study Favors Parallel Parking
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A parking study of North Street will be presented at Tuesday's City Council meeting. The design maintains parallel parking while expanding pedestrian zones and adding protected bike lanes.
The city, by request, has studied parking and bike lane opportunities for North Street and come up with the proposal staged for implementation next year.
While the request was to evaluate angle parking configurations, it was determined that it would present too many trade-offs such as impacts on emergency services, bike lanes, and pedestrian spaces.
"The commissioner has been working with Downtown Pittsfield Inc. and my office to come up with this plan," Mayor Peter Marchetti said during his biweekly television show "One Pittsfield."
"We will probably take this plan on the road to have many public input sessions and hopefully break ground sometime in the summer of 2025."
Working with Kittleson & Associates, the city evaluated existing typical sections, potential parking
configurations, and a review of parking standards. It compared front-in and back-in angle parking and explored parking-space count alterations, emergency routing, and alternate routes for passing through traffic within the framework of current infrastructure constraints.
The chosen option is said to align with the commitment to safety, inclusivity, and aesthetic appeal and offer a solution that enhances the streetscape for pedestrians, businesses, cyclists, and drivers without compromising the functionality of the corridor.
"The potential for increasing parking space is considerable; however, the implications on safety and the overall streetscape call for a balanced approach," Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales wrote.
Bike lanes and parking have been a hot topic over the last few years since North Street was redesigned.
In September 2020, the city received around $239,000 in a state Shared Streets and Spaces grant to support new bike lanes, curb extensions, vehicle lane reductions, and outdoor seating areas, and enhanced intersections for better pedestrian safety and comfort.
A parking study of North Street will be presented at Tuesday's City Council meeting. The design maintains parallel parking while expanding pedestrian zones and adding protected bike lanes. click for more
Amy Schirmer was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year for creating a weekly therapeutic art class at the George B. Crane Center to help those in recovery from substance use. click for more
.JPG)
