PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Local and statewide advocacy has led to a correction in Chapter 70 funding, adding another $2.4 million in aid for fiscal year 2025.

Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Kristen Behnke reported last week that the state Department of Secondary and Elementary Education has recognized 11 more low-income students in the district, bumping the district back into a higher reimbursement group.

She said it is "very welcome news given this budget situation."

The School Department had missed the cut by 0.04 percent, or two students, costing the district millions in state education aid but this was found to be a technical error.

"Because it's a fix to the budget, it's part of the Chapter 70 formula and it's recognized by the House Ways and Means and it's low-income students, we fully expect that this part of the formula will carry through and that we will continue to see this additional funds in the Senate Ways and Means budget, the House and Senate final budgets, and right through to the final state budget so this is really wonderful wonderful news," she told the School Committee.

The fix is a $2,464,181 increase over the governor's budget number, totaling an increase of $3,113,429 from FY24 to FY25. Before the adjustment, the district was staged to receive an increase of $649,248.

The fix also affected districts across the state, as about 1,500 low-income students were accounted for who hadn't been recognized.

Both the committee and the City Council passed a resolution calling for fully adjusting Chapter 70 education aid for inflation in FY25 and beyond. Superintendent Joseph Curtis pointed out that Behnke found the error and worked with Mayor Pete Marchetti and state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier to get it rectified.

He said DESE's first inclination was that it was the district's issue but through Behnke's persistence and work, they finally conceded that it was not.

"So I really have to acknowledge her work," Curtis said. "If she did not find that we'd be in a very different place to see me for the discussion."